The Wedding Date
by bellarke
Summary: After returning to the Upper East Side, Jenny Humphrey finds her heart torn in two. Despite Blair Waldorf Bass' intentions, it's not as easy a choice as one might think. Jenny struggles with the war between head and heart; between what she has and what she never did; her friends-with-benefits-turned-boyfriend, or the man she's long-suspected to be the love of her life.
1. Friends and Benefits

**A/N: **There was so much potential in Nate and Jenny, don't you think? I started planning a multi chapter fic with them a while ago, but in between figuring out stories and plots I started to play around with other pairings that might come between them, and thus, this fic was born! It might be a rough ride for a while, but stay with me guys. Nobody ships Nate and Jenny harder than I do! Although I do love my angst in fanfic... Enjoy! x

* * *

**Friends and Benefits**

She'd never been more grateful that Gossip Girl was dead and gone. Or, at least, that 'she' was no longer chronicling her life. Jenny had to give credit where credit was due – she and her brother had pulled off one of the biggest schemes in UES history, and while she'd sabotaged herself one too many times, she had to admit that the likelihood of her life turning out the way it had had a lot to do with who she was in high school. If she'd never gone to Constance, she wouldn't have become the brave young woman she was. She would never have gone toe to toe with Blair Waldorf and _won_, and she never would have been able to call Blair a friend.

Sure, they'd had their issues. On occasion, they still had their issues. But the loathing between them was hidden away in a Louis Vuitton somewhere in Blair's attic and that was where it was going to stay. Now they were friends, colleagues – business partners. Successful ones at that.

'What time is it?' her… _friend_ asked from beneath the duvet. The top of his brown hair was peeping out and Jenny affectionately ran her fingers through it. It was one of her favourite things about him, of which there were many.

'Later than we'd like,' Jenny told him.

As she pulled the covers back to reveal him in his boxers, she thought about what they were exactly. They'd only reconnected a few months ago, and she used that term loosely because they were never really anything anyway. He'd spent one breakfast with her extended family years ago, and she'd seen him for the first time a couple of years before that at Serena and Blair's cotillion. That was it.

Of all the places in the world, London was where they'd met again.

_Stressed, frazzled, furious and several other things at once, Jenny had been in a hurry to get home and finish packing for her trip to Italy on behalf of Waldorf Designs. Fabrics were missing, another shipment had gone rogue and Blair was breathing down her neck to get some fresh ideas on the table by the time she came back to Manhattan. Jenny hadn't even seen the leggy blonde heading her way on the arm of an up and coming entrepreneur. Before she could side step the girl, Jenny had careered right into her and they fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. _

_Hissing in pain, Jenny examined the cut on her knee exasperatedly. There goes the mini dress for the cocktail reception tonight, she thought. Accepting the hand that was offered to her, Jenny was helped to her feet, still in one piece. Her phone, on the other hand, was in several pieces and the strap of her handbag had broken. Cursing, Jenny picked up the fragments of her iPhone and attempted to put it back together to no avail._

'_I'm sorry, we didn't see you,' the entrepreneur said with an apologetic smile as he helped his date to her feet, too. _

'_Don't worry about it,' Jenny said. 'I should have been paying attention.'_

_She chose this moment to look up and found a familiar face looking back. _

'_I know you,' they said in unison, and he smiled. _

'_Carter Baizen.' Jenny offered a small smile, given the circumstances. He'd never been very well liked among her friends and family, and though she didn't know him personally, she'd heard enough to know she should probably stay away. _

'_And you are…' he began, struggling a little. Jenny raised her eyebrows, but didn't offer any help. If he remembered her at all then surely he could dig a little deeper and pull out her name. 'Dan's sister.'_

_Jenny rolled her eyes. She'd grown up being Dan's sister, but she was so much more than just that now. Still, at least he'd tried. 'Jenny Humphrey,' she informed him, somewhat sharply._

'_My bad,' he said. He spied the J for Waldorf design on her handbag and it seemed to dawn on him that she was still a part of the Upper East Side. 'I remember Blair telling me about you during out brief – albeit fun – rendezvous.' _

_Jenny crinkled her nose in disgust for his date, and she looked quickly at the blonde. She was standing, appropriately, off to the side like a spare part, waiting. Jenny felt for her; she'd been that girl before. Waiting for the guy to notice her, or just remember she was there. Only one guy had ever really made her feel that way, but she hadn't seen him in a few years. _

_She snapped back to her conversation. _

'_I should go,' she said, sparing another glance for Carter's date. 'Let you get back to… I'm sorry, what's your name?' _

'_Tabitha,' the girl offered abruptly, stepping forward and sliding her arm through Carter's. _

_Despite this, his gaze seemed fixed on Jenny and she couldn't deny it felt a little good. Tabitha was stunning. Long legs, high heels, great bone structure, and here Carter was with his eyes on Jenny, looking her over and seeming, dare Jenny think it, __**thirsty**__. Not really one for drawing attention to herself – at least not anymore – Jenny didn't mind admitting that she liked it when guys found her appealing. She didn't look her best, really. Old, faded jeans, an even older pair of ankle boots, a plain grey vest and a black blazer fresh from the dryer. It was still creased, but she was too busy to care when she'd thrown it on. _

_And yet Carter still had his eyes on her, and they were an attractive pair of eyes too. _

_Tabitha pulled on his arm and he came back to himself, clearing his throat and hailing down a cab. Jenny began trying to fix her phone once more, setting off down the street, but just as she passed him – and with Tabitha busy getting into the cab and giving the driver directions – Carter put his hand on her arm and handed her his business card. Jenny's eyes widened in shock and she looked up at him. _

'_Seriously? You're on a date.' _

'_Just the first one,' he said, slowly pulling his hand away. He grazed the inside of her wrist and lingered there for a moment, before biting his lip and turning into the cab. 'Hope to see you around, Jenny Humphrey.' _

_With that, the cab sped off and was lost in the sea of traffic. Jenny was still staring after it moments later, his business card in hand. Shameless, she thought, crinkling her nose again. Shameless… and somehow appealing? Jenny was barely twenty four. She liked having her fun, but given her history, she'd resolved to stay away from UES men. That said, if Carter was living in London he wasn't exactly an Upper East Side guy anymore. _

That was six months ago, and now Jenny found herself staring at him, still groggy from sleep, as he stretched and ran his hands through his hair. When he caught her looking, he winked, and then stood up himself. He walked around the end of the bed and to where she was standing. He wrapped his arms around her bare waist and slid one hand down the back of her panties. Jenny's eyes fluttered and she sucked in a breath, gently pushing him away.

'I have a flight to catch,' she said quietly, struggling to get the words out as his hands roamed further and he started to kiss down her neck. One hand was on her chest now, drawing a line with his fingertip down and between her breasts.

'You could just stay,' he murmured, his hot breath now up by her ear. She reached down and grabbed his wrists to stop him.

'I have to go,' she said seriously, but she dissolved into giggles as he broke free and tickled her waist.

'Just stay one more day,' he said, pulling her back down to the bed, 'and one more night,' he went on, rolling them over so he was on top. He liked being on top.

Jenny wriggled out from underneath him and grabbed a towel from the airer. 'As fun as that would be,' she said, recalling their many, many passion fuelled nights, 'I have to get back to Manhattan. Dan's proposing to Serena and he wants me there for everything. Plus, Blair and I have to start thinking about the new line. It's getting more difficult to work from across the globe, and you know how I love staying at Casa de Bass. The sheets are divine.'

Truth be told, she'd been thinking of heading back to New York full time. She hadn't mentioned it yet, not that it would matter too much. They were just fuck buddies really, friends at a push.

'I thought you preferred my bed,' he quipped, licking his lips. At that, Jenny smirked. She went through to the bathroom and started running a bath. Carter came up and pressed his body against her back as he turned off the taps. He led her to the other side of the room.

'Don't you think a shower would be more fun?' he asked, and she couldn't disagree.

* * *

It was early evening when she landed at LaGuardia. Blair had sent a car and a change of clothes ahead for her, with a note that read:

_Impromptu benefit at the house with some potential investors. _

For as long as she could remember, Jenny had never known Blair to be impromptu about anything. Everything was meticulous, carefully planned, right down to what time the Queen B herself would make her entrance. Not one to say no to a drink with friends, though, Jenny soon talked herself into the spirit of things. She changed in the back of the car. Thankfully the windows were tinted and the driver had rolled up the screen between the front and back seats. By the time they arrived at Chuck and Blair's house, the evening seemed to be in full swing. Jenny's suitcases were taken upstairs by Dorota, who Jenny greeted with a kiss on the cheek.

'How are Leo and Anna?' she'd asked, and Dorota had beamed with pride.

'Very good Miss Jenny, thank you. Miss Blair is wanting to speak with you.'

Jenny waved her off and walked ahead through the house. Strangely enough, it had become something of a sanctuary for her over the past few years. She felt safe there, like she was truly home. She was stopped in the living room by Dan, who swept her up in a bear hug, and then by Serena who drew her in to an even tighter hug and kissed her on both cheeks.

'Jenny!' her future sister-in-law – and former step-sister – flashed her famous smile. 'How are you? How was your flight?'

'Good and good,' Jenny said, accepting the champagne Dan had retrieved for her. 'Thanks. Have you seen Blair?'

Serena was still grinning, though Dan was noticeably less enthused all of a sudden. Jenny looked between them and waited for an explanation, but it didn't come. Instead she was surprised to find Chuck had snuck up behind them. He touched her back and she turned to embrace him.

'Jennifer, I trust your journey was pleasant? You look stunning.'

He was the first to comment on the dress Blair had sent over. He must have known it was his wife's choice. The dress was long, black and flowing but the ends of the fabric dissolved into lace by the time it hit the floor. It had some thick straps that criss-crossed over her back, and a cleavage enhancing v-neckline.

'Thanks Chuck. Is Blair around? Apparently I'm in demand.'

'Yes you are.'

Jenny turned once again, worried she might have a spell of dizziness. She found Blair crossing the room, and soon was engulfed in yet another tight hug. Blair then took her by the arm and led her through to Chuck's study, where she closed the door on the party so that it was just the two of them.

'What's going on, Blair?' Jenny asked, crossing her arms. She knew the woman pretty well, and she recognized the glint in Blair's eyes. There was a scheme at hand.

'You'll be happy to know that I've acquired you a date for the wedding,' she said, looking pleased with herself.

'What?' Jenny blurted out. 'Dan hasn't even proposed yet!'

Had she missed it? Why wouldn't Dan have said something? And why did Serena look so happy if they weren't even engaged yet?'

'Relax, Little J. As far as they're concerned it's just a potential suitor, but I happen to have a good feeling about this one. I fully expect him to be your date to the upcoming Humphrey-Van der Woodsen nuptials.'

'So he hasn't proposed yet?'

'No. Keep up, Jenny,' Blair admonished.

'Right,' Jenny said, grip tightening on her clutch bag. Her – now in working order – phone was inside, as were the many phone logs and text messages she'd exchanged with Carter. Suddenly she felt guilty about her somewhat double-life, and most of all about him. But they weren't serious. On cue, her phone sounded in her bag to alert her to a new message.

'Aren't you going to get that?' Blair asked, circling Chuck's desk and smiling fondly at a picture of their son, Henry.

'No,' Jenny said, in what she thought was a convincing tone. Blair stopped and eyed her suspiciously.

As much as Jenny liked to think of herself as a strong young woman, and a gifted liar, something about Blair always left her feeling not quite up to par. She couldn't lie to Blair, and sadly this was the one time she really should have been able to. Blair narrowed her eyes and moved towards her.

In an effort to distract her as her phone sounded for the second time, and then a third, Jenny tried a little too emphatically to change the subject.

'So who's the guy?'

The door to the study opened just then.

'Blair? Chuck said you were looking for me.'

Jenny's breath hitched as Nate walked right back into her life. It had been years, and he still looked as impossibly handsome as ever. Whenever she was in the city she just so happened to miss him by a few hours; she was always dashing off to London or Italy or Paris whenever he'd stop by, and he was busy over in Los Angeles.

In the time Jenny spent staring at him, Blair had snatched the clutch bag from Jenny's unsuspecting hands and pulled out her phone.

'Nate,' Jenny breathed.

'Jenny,' he replied, a gorgeous grin spreading across his face. Jenny smiled, but the moment was short lived, as Blair's shrill, scolding tone rang out in disgust.

'Carter Baizen!'

* * *

**A/N: **Wasssssuuuup? Hope you liked that little intro there. I totally get it if you're maybe a little confused over the time frame and where Jenny actually lives. She's sort of between places and has been for a while because she travels so much as part of her job. Carter became a sort of security blanket in London, where as Casa de Bass became that for her in New York. I always imagined Jenny as being someone who couldn't settle in one place or another for too long because she never really knew who she was. Is that a bit too philosophical? Whatever.

As for the timeline, I imagine Jenny arrives back in NY for Dan's proposal, roughly around four months before he and Serena tie the knot. I don't imagine it was a long engagement at all!

Thanks for reading this chapter, and I hope you stick with the story for the rest. Much more to come!

Please leave some feedback? It's better than cake, and it helps me get better! x


	2. Wanton Humphrey

**A/N:** Howdy guys. Thanks for coming back. This story has officially been bumped to an **M** rating, and you'll see why when you get a little insight into Jenny and Carter's past. Read at your discretion ;)

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**Wanton Humphrey**

Since giving birth to her son, Blair's maternal instincts had become just that._ Instinctive_, as is the norm in new mothers. Not that this was new. She'd long considered herself the mother hen to her less intelligent, and by far sillier, friends. As such, she often found herself scolding her friends and family when they made bad decisions. Since this was, regrettably, a regular occurrence, Blair could often be found lecturing an unwilling participant in Chuck's office. It didn't matter if he had work to get on with at home – the room was usually engaged. It was really the main reason Chuck was overseeing plans to renovate one of their first floor reception rooms into an office for Blair. She had her atelier in the city and, given that she shared it with Jenny on occasion, it would have made sense for Blair to lecture Jenny there.

Given the urgency of the situation, though, Blair knew she needed to nip this travesty in its bud sooner rather than later. So she found herself, in the middle of a benefit for the local hospital, pacing her husband's office while Jenny Humphrey sat in one of the chairs facing Chuck's desk. Nate was standing awkwardly just inside the door, which Blair had insisted he'd closed behind him.

She was holding Jenny's cell phone gingerly in one hand, the other placed firmly on her hip as she walked.

'Jenny' she began. 'I understand, likely better than most, that Carter Baizen comes with a certain appeal. He's a bad boy; corrupted, and corrupting. But he'll always be a bad boy, and bad boys are not fit for queens of Constance.'

Jenny tried to interrupt, but knew it was fruitless. She cast a look at Nate, but he immediately ducked his head. Blair sat down opposite Jenny and clicked her fingers, drawing the blonde's attention right back to her.

'Let me set the scene, if I may. It's 2007. Carter returns to the city after a prolonged absence, broke and supposedly a good man. He invites our dear friend Nate to a poker game, only to set the young Archibald up to take the fall for his own debts. Luckily my husband arrives in time to stop any serious damage being done. Moving on, it's 2008. I am at a vulnerable point in my life, and Carter Baizen seeks to exploit that in order to gain a one up in his ongoing war with Chuck. He and Serena, thankfully, see to it that he leaves the country.'

'Let's fast forward again to 2009. Serena has been searching for her father with help from, of course, Carter Baizen. Once again his debt catches up to him, and he leaves her in the lurch after she and Nate jeopardized their friendship in order to help him. He returns in 2010, when Nate and Serena are finally acting on their feelings, and reveals he's found her father, but he withheld the information for a while in order to try and win her back.'

Jenny stared at her, mouth slightly agape across the desk. Blair didn't flinch; she knew she was impressive.

'What I'm getting at, Little J, is that Carter is no good. He's no more fit to be your boyfriend-'

'Carter Baizen is your boyfriend?'

Nate finally spoke up and Blair and Jenny turned their gazes on him. His arms had fallen to his sides in surprise, and while his demeanour was mainly that of shock, his eyes were dark and somewhat worrying in the way they were looking at Jenny. He was jumping to conclusions, and with that he was judging her. Silently, and to herself, Blair smirked. For years she'd wondered at the compatibility of her two friends.

Despite her previous wars with Jenny, and the fact that the timing was never right, Jenny Humphrey was more than a match for Nate Archibald. And now, with Dan proposing to Serena and the likelihood of a wedding being a guaranteed one hundred percent, Blair pondered that maybe it was time for Little J to get her moment in the sun. God only knew Jenny had been mad about the boy since she was fourteen, and there was plenty of unresolved tension there.

'He's not my boyfriend,' Jenny said earnestly, though she'd turned from Nate in favour of convincing Blair.

Blair raised her eyebrows and set about finding the text messages Jenny had received earlier. Upon unlocking the phone, she reminded Jenny that she really ought to have password protected it.

'Blair come on,' Jenny protested, rising from her seat. 'That's private!'

All trace of games and arrogance drained from Blair's face. She paused for a moment, then handed Jenny the phone. 'I'm doing this for your own good, Jenny. Carter is bad news, and you should keep away.'

'People change,' Jenny argued, stuffing her phone back into her clutch and zipping it closed with force. 'You should know that better than anybody, just look at Chuck.'

'Carter Baizen is no Chuck Bass.'

It was Nate who spoke. Blair didn't argue, of course, but Jenny wasn't finished.

'I changed too,' said the Brooklyn native. 'Just look at who I was six years ago – at all the things I did.' She stopped herself, looking quite ashamed, and turned her gaze on the ground.

Blair felt a kick in her chest, but nothing more. She and Jenny had long buried the hatchet and though the memories of that night were something Blair liked to keep hidden away, never to be disturbed, she could admit now that she understood. Jenny was her friend. She'd forgiven Serena and Nate for the same thing, though with Chuck the pain has been so much worse. Every part of her had ached, but it was in the past. She and Chuck were storybook, meant-to-be epic, and nothing could come between them.

'Look, I don't have to defend myself about this,' Jenny said, folding her arms. 'I'm nearly twenty four. I make my own decisions and I can look out for myself, okay? I appreciate the concern, but like I said, Carter is not my boyfriend.'

'Then why's he texting you?' Nate asked, his tone unfaltering.

Jenny shrugged. 'We're… we're friends. We met in London about six months ago and we've been hanging out-'

'I knew those business trips were suspect!' Blair interjected, pointing an accusatory finger Jenny's way.

'You've been sneaking off to London to see him,' Nate said, struggling to grasp the idea. He seemed to be taking issue with it. 'But you're just friends?'

'I haven't been sneaking anywhere. Look,' Jenny said, throwing up her arms and making for the door. 'I'm tired, and I don't have to explain myself to you. I appreciate the concern, but Carter is different now, and we're _just_ friends. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and sleep this off. Blair, I'll see you for breakfast at seven. Nate…'

She stopped next to him at the door.

'It was nice to see you.'

Blair watched her go, and Nate soon followed, citing that he needed a drink. Her plan had been disrupted, but any good Queen B has plans B, C and D ready to go. Of course, now that Carter was no doubt in the mix, things were going to get complicated. But Blair was more than able to coax people over to her way of thinking, and with Carter all the way over in England and Nate right on Jenny's doorstep, it wasn't going to take much convincing until Jenny saw things her way. The right way. Surely.

* * *

Nate was feeling particularly tender the following morning. After his first drink of the evening, which had followed the unearthing of Jenny's friendship with Carter Baizen, he'd had another, and another, and another and soon he was being persuaded to stay in the Bass' second guest bedroom. Jenny was in the first, he remembered as he tiredly got dressed before heading down to breakfast. He had a free morning, which came as a welcome relief from his endless days and nights working on the Spectator's latest expansion.

He was overseeing the opening of their new office in Los Angeles. He'd been spending weeks – sometimes months – at a time over there. He'd been back all of one day when Blair's name flashed up on his cell and she'd insisted that he come along to the impromptu benefit. Nate had never known Blair to be impromptu. He suspected foul play, but had no idea what her game was. Since Henry's birth both she and Chuck had cooled it with the schemes, though they still crept up every now and then.

As he descended the stairs, the hustle and bustle of the Bass household found him and he smiled when he heard his godson's laugh coming from the dining room. He found Blair and Chuck in there already with Henry, and they all bid him a good morning. He ruffled Henry's hair as he passed the little guy, then turned his attention to Jenny, who was sitting opposite the three of them at the table. Nate took the empty seat beside her, where a place had been set for him already, and smiled in greeting.

'You look how I feel,' Jenny said, reaching for a plate of fruit.

'You're hungover, too?'

'Nope, jet lagged. Between Paris and Italy and London, I'm exhausted.'

Nate's stomach clenched at that. _And London_. _And Carter Baizen_, he thought. He'd always known Jenny to pursue the wrong kind of guys, from Asher to Damien and now Carter, but surely even she knew that Baizen was just one creep too far.

He regarded Jenny for a moment. She was certainly grown up, a far cry from her final days at Constance. Gone were the ragged extensions and black eyes, replaced by well kept, flowing blonde locks and, at that time in the morning, no make-up. She looked every bit the picture of perfection, and their brief, but sweet, time together his senior year of St. Jude's had opened a door between them that had never really been closed.

Despite everything she did before she left, including trying to sabotage his relationship with Serena and sleeping with Chuck, Nate had never turned his back on her. Not completely. They were friends; he'd trusted her with secrets about Serena, about his parents, his whole life, and that didn't go away just because Jenny lost herself for a little while.

She'd come back in the end.

'Nathaniel?'

'What?'

Nate tore his gaze from Jenny when Chuck spoke, only then realizing he'd been staring at her. He cleared his throat and accepted the Wall Street Journal from Chuck, though he wasn't much in the mood for reading. Ignoring the smug look on Blair's face, he set about reading the first page. He was beginning to think he needed glasses though; all those long hours staring at computer screens and reading and re-reading drafts of stories were starting to take their toll.

'As I was saying,' Blair said to Jenny. 'There's still the issue of the fabrics over in London, but I can handle that this week. You could take a look at the designs that have come in from Italy for me. I trust your eye to choose the best ones for the line.'

'No problem,' Jenny said, but her tone suggested she wasn't quite happy about it. 'But I can _handle_ London. You haven't met with the team there in ages – it makes sense for me to just carry on as I have been.'

'No, I insist,' said Blair in a sickly sweet tone.

Jenny rolled her eyes, but didn't seem annoyed. More exasperated than anything, Nate decided, as she puffed out the air from her cheeks. She excused herself to go and get dressed, and after a few moments, Nate slipped out under the pretence of going to the bathroom. He caught up to her as she was halfway up the stairs, and by the time he'd called after her they were on the first floor landing, heading to her room.

'It's great to see you,' he said.

'You too,' she replied with ease, tightening the tie of the robe she had on.

They walked on in silence, but the weight of the words they weren't saying seemed too much to bear, and Nate gave in.

'I'm sorry I was so out of touch these past few years,' he began, just as Jenny spoke too.

'Sorry I haven't kept in touch so much.'

They chuckled at one another as they came to Jenny's door, but Nate wasn't quite satisfied with leaving it there. He'd always found her interesting. In fact, she always left him curious, and now with all of this coming out about her and Carter, when she seemed to be doing so well for herself – away from all the drama the Upper East Side entailed, Nate felt it was only right that he try and get through to her where Blair had failed the night before.

'Listen, Jenny, about Carter…'

'Just friends,' she reminded him.

'If you say so, but please just listen for a second.' She didn't say anything, and so he took it as a sign to carry on. 'He always came across the good guy at first, but in the end he just couldn't stick it out. Deep down, he's no good.'

'People change,' Jenny repeated.

'Some people do, yeah. But he's not one of those people.'

'How do you know that?' she challenged, placing a hand on the door to her room. Nate was sure she was about to disappear on him, and a feeling in his gut suddenly had him scrambling to find ways to make her stay.

'I just do. I know plenty of guys like him.'

'I really don't want to have this conversation again,' Jenny said, opening her door ajar.

'Alright, fine,' Nate said, a little too eagerly. He took a breath. 'Look, what I really came to say was that I think it'd be good for us to hang out some time, for old times' sake? I feel like I barely know you now.'

Not true of course. He'd always know Jenny Humphrey, likely better than she knew herself.

She didn't seem as convinced as him, he realized, as she bit her lip. 'I don't know, Nate. Things between us have gotten complicated in the past… I don't want to drag that all up again.'

'Hey,' he grinned. 'People change.'

She smirked and stepped into her room. At length, she agreed. 'The diner we went to for your birthday?'

Nate knew the one. He'd been treated to a real Humphrey birthday, complete with public humiliation.

'Sounds great. I'm in meetings all afternoon but how about tomorrow for lunch? One thirty?'

She gave him a great big smile and nodded, before closing the door.

It could have been the fact that he was just now properly waking up, or it could have been the smell of coffee and bacon as he went back to his breakfast. He was feeling clear-headed, and his hangover seemed to be lifting quickly. It might have had more to do with Jenny Humphrey making him feel seventeen again in amongst the stress of being a twenty six year-old Editor in Chief, but that was neither here nor there. He wasn't so sure what it was about her that brought it all out in him, but he liked the feeling.

* * *

When she was safely tucked away in the window nook later on, overlooking the streets of Park Avenue from her guest room at the Bass', Jenny flipped open her Macbook and began scanning her emails. Italy, Paris, even Madrid was calling and, further down the list, London. She smiled.

She'd never expected this level of success at such a young age, but she always knew she'd be successful one day. Blair had mentioned a promotion in the coming months, one that would see Jenny needing to permanently settle in Manhattan, leaving behind the glorious life of a well-travelled designer and instead find her heading up her very own design team at Waldorf Designs, answering only to Blair herself. She'd be second in command.

It would be a huge honour, and while Jenny was on board with moving home full time, something in the back of her mind nagged her about leaving the travelling behind.

As if on cue, Jenny's phone rang. When she spied who was calling, she glanced quickly to the door to be sure it was shut tight. One never knew in the Bass household, and the walls probably did have ears. She slid the answer button across and pressed her phone to her ear.

'Good morning.'

'Good afternoon, beautiful,' Carter countered on the other end.

It would be going on one in the afternoon there, Jenny figured. She relaxed back against the wall and settled her gaze on a group of high school students making their way to school.

'What can I do for you Baizen?'

'Always so direct,' he mused, and Jenny could just tell he was lounging in his chair in his office, feet up on the desk, smirking at every word she said. 'You never answered my texts last night.'

Memories of the previous night's fiasco appeared at the forefront of her mind, and she sighed outwardly, loud enough for him to realize something was wrong.

'What happened? Are you okay?' the alarm in his voice was unfamiliar, but not unwelcome. In fact, Jenny found herself wishing he would just catch a flight out to New York so they could show her friends that nothing was going on.

Alright, something was going on, but it was purely physical, and Jenny liked it that way. Since her disastrous exit from the Upper East Side all those years ago, Jenny had struggled to connect with people. Not just girls, but boys. With the girls, she could never tell which ones wanted to be her friend purely because they liked her, and which ones were hoping to gain some insight into the 'scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite', as Dan had so elegantly put it when he'd dreamed up the idea of Gossip Girl so long ago. With the boys, she never knew which ones to trust. It dawned on Jenny, somewhere in between arriving in Hudson and finishing her first week at school there, that the only boy she'd ever really trusted – outside of her family, which included Eric – was Nate.

And she'd royally screwed that up.

But now she had Carter; a genuine friend who understood her. He understood what her life in the UES had made her, how she'd lost herself in bitter hatred and struggled to cope with it all until she ran away. It just so happened that this new friend she'd made was someone the rest of the people in her life, simply put, _detested_.

'Jenny?'

'Sorry, I'm tired. I'm still on London time.'

'What's going on?'

'Nothing, I'm fine.'

'Liar,' he said, and he was right, but they didn't dwell on it. 'I was just wondering if you'd planned your next business trip yet.'

'Is your bed that cold already?' Jenny could practically hear the grin on his face through the phone, but it wasn't one she returned. In fact, her stomach took a turn and she felt guilty. Biting her lip, she clicked open an email from Blair and found a jam-packed schedule for the next few months. All the events were in New York.

'About that,' Jenny said at length, and then closed her laptop. 'Looks like I might not be back for a while. If at all.'

He didn't answer right away, but the silence was deafening.

'Carter?'

'Not a problem,' he said suavely, but Jenny knew him well enough by now.

Carter made no secret of the fact that he liked sex. In particular, he liked sex with her. Of course he was going to be a little disappointed. The friendship part of things would be fine; they could email and text and call. But the sexual part… well, Carter was going to have search long and hard for someone who could so intricately get to know his body like she did. Likewise, Jenny knew she'd have a hard time finding anyone to quench the thirst that Carter left her with every time they finished. He satisfied her in every way, but it was never enough. She always wanted more of him. Her mind began to drift, and soon enough she was reliving their first… encounter.

'_Before…this…gets… out of-oh!' _

_Jenny knew her attempts at conversation were futile. With every word, Carter seemed to find a new place to make her feel incredible, and she was starting to lose her grip on reality. He had her up against the wall of her apartment, legs wide apart as he worked his way further and further down. Her underwear was pushed to the side as his fingers scraped the inside of her thighs and it was all she could do to keep herself from digging her nails into his shoulders. She grabbed his head and pushed him down, fingers rushing through his hair. _

_He was on his feet suddenly, one hand tangling in her hair and the other grazing her jaw, denying her the release he'd had her craving. He looked her dead in the eye, and all she could think was that she wasn't done with him yet. She kissed him hard, all tongue and hot breath and teeth scraping as her hands went to his belt and ripped it away from his trousers. His shirt came off next and was discarded in the living room. She guided him through to the bedroom, and he lifted her around his waist to carry her to the bed. _

_He threw her down and attacked her with kisses again. On the mouth, along her jaw, her neck, her collarbone. He ripped open her shirt, the buttons springing in all directions, and kissed her breasts along the top of her bra, but didn't wait long to pull it down. His hands went back up to her wrists, pinning them above her head. All she could do was writhe under the pleasure. _

'_What was it you were going to say?' he murmured, trailing teasing kisses along the hem of her lingerie._

_Jenny pulled him back up, so that they were pressed up against each other with him on top. She tilted his chin up with one finger as the other hand roamed his chest. _

'_This is just a one-time thing,' she replied, and he smirked. _

'_Whatever you say, Jenny Humphrey.'_

Carter's distant voice broke in. 'Jenny, you still there?'

Coming back to herself, Jenny had to force herself to speak. Her mouth was a little dry.

'My birthday is soon, don't forget.'

'Of course. I'll send something.' And by that, Jenny knew that he meant his assistant would send something. Erin had always had much better taste than him anyway. 'I should go,' he said.

'Alright. Talk soon?'

'Sure thing. Bye.'

'Bye.'

As the line went dead, Jenny couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She thought back to her schedule, ready to get on with her day. Before anything else, though, she needed a shower.

* * *

**A/N:** Hope you liked this one - more to come, and the drama hasn't even started yet!

Please leave some feedback - it's heavily appreciated! xoxo


	3. Sage Advice

**A/N:** Regrettably, there are some discrepancies in the time frame in which this story takes place. Currently, Jenny is 23, and the Gossip Girl Wiki (I'm a thorough fact checker, me!) states her birthday as being on April 2nd. Based on the ending of season 6, I always assumed that Dan and Serena married around September time, because I felt we were being introduced to a new wave of Constance kids as they headed off to school to start the year.

Being that this story takes places roughly four months before the nuptials, and with Jenny still 23, I've decided that her birthday is now in June. It isn't crucial to the plot and therefore really doesn't matter, but I just wanted to get that in there to put to rest any confusion. If there even was any. If you didn't notice, or simply don't care, then let's just leave it there.

Moving on!

In this chapter, we delve a little bit further into Jenny's past, and touch very briefly on how she and Blair came together to create J for Waldorf. Despite their growing friendship being the primary one in Jenny's life as she readjusted, I always felt that in order to come back to the Upper East Side, Jenny had a lot of bridges to mend. Not least of all with Serena, which is what the flashback centres on. Let's be honest, Jenny made things preeetty difficult for our favourite golden girl in seasons 3 and 4. She owed S an apology.

But that's enough from me for now. Enjoy!

* * *

**Sage Advice**

'B, we really should just stay out of it.'

'Nonsense. The very well-being of our friend is at stake here.'

'I think that's being a little dramatic.'

Serena had more important things to worry about that day, and while she cared about Jenny just as much Blair - if not more – she knew that Jenny was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. And honestly she just didn't believe Jenny would be silly enough to date Carter Baizen. The stories about him from strangers were enough to turn anyone away, let alone stories from close friends and family. She'd grown to think of Jenny as a sister. They'd been sisters before, obviously, but not by choice. Now that Serena planned to spend her life with Dan, Jenny came as part of the package.

It was a package that Serena loved and trusted dearly.

Still, the persuasive tones of her best friend were difficult to resist. Blair Waldorf Bass was a well-oiled, perfectly manicured little machine. Serena huffed into the mouthpiece of her cell, tapping her foot.

'I'm actually meeting Jenny in a couple of minutes.'

'Wonderful,' Blair cooed on the other end. 'Now, I need details. How long, how often –'

'How often?!' Serena screeched, outraged.

She caught the eye of a middle-aged man sitting a few tables over and offered a smile in an attempt to recover some of her dignity. He promptly cleared his throat and fluffed out his paper, as if he hadn't even noticed her there.

'Really, S? You're going to play coy? We need to get to the bottom of this thing between Jenny and Carter, and snuff out the torch before his ship makes port again.'

'Oh my God,' Serena groaned, covering her face with her hand and leaning her elbow on the table. 'Blair, that's enough. She said they're just friends.' The door chimed and Serena looked up. Jenny waved and began making her way over. 'She's here, I have to go.'

'Find out!'

'Alright mom, I love you. Bye! Jenny, hey.'

Serena stood up and kissed her on both cheeks. She caught a breeze from the door as it swung shut and was thankful for it. It was turning out to be one of the hottest days of the year so far, and being only June, Serena was excited for what the summer would bring. Partly, anyway. She was also terrified of making it to the end of the month for a couple of reasons. The first was Dan. He was acting strangely, and had been for weeks now. He seemed nervous around her and dodged questions like where they would spend Christmas, and what Jenny might like for her birthday. It was almost as if he wasn't planning on being around. Serena knew she was probably, most likely, almost definitely over thinking things, but it wouldn't help to get a second opinion. That was where Jenny came in.

Few people knew Dan Humphrey as well as Serena did. Jenny was one of them.

The second reason she was dreading and wilfully expecting the end of the month in equal measure was this:

Serena was late.

'How's Lily?' Jenny asked, sitting down. She picked up two menus and handed one to Serena.

'My mom… is great, thanks. She and Dad are enjoying Bali at the moment.'

'I'm surprised they get cell reception over there. Weren't they staying off the grid?'

Serena smiled and bit her bottom lip. 'Right. Yeah. Lucky five minutes I guess.'

Jenny was looking at her suspiciously. Serena's ability to bend the truth used to be pretty good, given who she was best friends with, but Jenny had been fierce in that respect too, and being queen of Constance had taught her a few things. Serena knew right away that Jenny could see straight through her, but she soldiered on so as not to disappoint Queen B.

'How are things? Are you excited for your birthday?'

Jenny smiled broadly. 'I am. Things are going well right now. I'm finally inspired for the new line – Blair and I bounced some ideas around this morning and we're even thinking of dabbling in menswear. High end couture suits, that kind of thing. She also mentioned a promotion which is really exciting. I think I'd like to be back in Manhattan,' Jenny paused briefly. 'As long as I could keep my feet on the ground and my seventeen year-old self at bay…'

Serena was nodding along as Jenny spoke, taking in her words but not really listening. She was bursting with questions and panic and worry and just couldn't hold it in any more.

'Is Dan going to break up with me?' she wailed, staring at Jenny across the top of their menus.

Jenny's eyebrows went up in surprise, and Serena couldn't blame her.

'Are you kidding?' Jenny asked, completely serious, as she set down her menu. 'Serena, no of course not! Why would you even think that?'

'He's been distant lately, acting weird. Every time I bring up anything to do with the future, from your birthday to this Christmas and next year, he gets all wordy and nervous and finds a way to change the subject, or drops the conversation.'

Serena could hear herself getting clingy, but she just didn't care. When it came to Dan Humphrey, she was as clingy as she cared to be, and as loving and loyal and lovely as she could be. Jenny's expression had changed from surprise to something else. She was trying not to look Serena in the eye. The guy with the paper a few tables away was _not_ that interesting.

'Spill,' Serena said, eyes narrowing.

'There's nothing to spill,' Jenny insisted, slapping on one of her most eager smiles to date. She grabbed at her menu again. 'I might get eggs. Do you want eggs?'

'Jenny.'

'But then I am a Humphrey, and the waffles here are so good.'

'_Jenny_.'

'Dad would flip if he thought I was eating anyone's waffles but his own-'

'Jenny!' Serena had hissed and stolen the menu away. 'Tell me.'

Jenny was resolute and refusing to budge, so Serena had to invest in her Blair tactics. She pursed her lips and leaned in, quirking one eyebrow just enough to make Jenny sweat under her gaze.

'Fine. If we won't talk about Dan, let's talk about Carter Baizen.'

Jenny's otherwise engaged gaze froze on Serena and she visibly stiffened, before dissolving into a guilty little sister.

'I can't tell you what he's planning!'

'He's planning something?'

Jenny realized her mistake. 'No…'

'What's he planning?'

'Nothing!'

Serena grinned and sat back, triumphant. 'He is planning something. Is it a weekend getaway? A vacation in Europe?'

'I'm not saying anything else.'

Serena clapped to herself, still smiling, and then reached for Jenny's hand across the table. She'd been so worried this morning and now her mind was half at rest. With the issue of Dan out of the way, she could focus her energies more on the issue of her late period. It was probably just the stress of worrying about her relationship, and she'd get it soon enough. She felt Jenny squeeze her hand, and saw the look in the youngest Humphrey's eyes. She'd seen it before, a few times. Once at Serena's mother and Rufus' wedding, when they'd said their vows, at the guerrilla fashion show when she'd seen how much people loved her designs and she'd run into Nate's arms, and then again when she'd returned to Manhattan in the Spring of 2015, two years earlier.

Jenny looked so happy, Serena mused, as butterflies flew in her own stomach. Good things were coming, she could tell. She'd forgotten entirely about the Carter Baizen situation.

* * *

'_Just take my advice,' Blair chided her. _

_Jenny rolled her eyes on the other end of the phone and somehow, she thought, Blair probably knew and it only added to her irritated tone. _

'_I don't know if this is a good idea.'_

'_Of course it is,' Blair said sharply. 'Jenny, we've been through this. Waldorf Designs would like to bring you aboard, but we won't be welcoming you back to Manhattan while there are so many unresolved issues between you and my circle.'_

'_Right,' Jenny conceded. 'Okay. I'll call you when I land in Paris. Can you email the itinerary, please?'_

'_Already sent, mon ami. Now get to it. Au revoir!'_

_Blair clicked off just as Henry began sobbing in the background. Jenny heard enough to know Henry wanted his Daddy. _

_Considering Serena Van der Woodsen was one of the nicest people on the Upper East Side, at least that Jenny had met, she'd never been so nervous to talk to her. As she rode the elevator up to Serena and Dan's apartment in her old building, Jenny wondered which of Serena's famed personas would meet her when she arrived. It could be her loveliest one, wherein she loved everything and everyone, or it could have been the brief, head-bitch-in-charge one she'd adopted briefly at Constance during her war with Blair. Jenny hoped it was the former, and given Serena's unearthly capacity for forgiveness, she didn't think it was too much of a stretch to hope for it. _

_They'd seen each other in the few years since Jenny had left Manhattan for good, at Christmases and birthdays, but they'd never spoken a great deal and, honestly, Jenny didn't blame her. It wasn't just that she'd sabotaged Serena's relationship with Nate; that was child's play and in the past, and Serena was in love with Dan. The real, lingering issue between them was what had happened during Juliet's run of terror. _

_She'd convinced Jenny to help in her plan to take down Serena, and it had escalated so quickly that Jenny became caught up in consequences she hadn't intended on. Jenny had gone straight to Blair to set things right, which she knew did little in terms of gaining Blair's forgiveness for the Chuck incident. But it had set Jenny on the path of redemption she'd so clearly needed. _

_She was at their door before she'd had a chance to look up and, knocking thrice, she stepped back and waited. Dan was at a signing, which oddly Jenny preferred. It would be better for her and Serena to do this alone. The door opened then, and as the sunlight hit her hair, Serena stepped forward in a mane of gold. Glorious as ever, Jenny thought. Unlike her teen years, there wasn't a hint of resentment in her mind. Serena smiled. It was small, but it was there. _

'_Hi Jenny.'_

'_Hi.'_

_They spoke at length, for what seemed like hours, and drank tea and ate some cake Serena had made. She claimed she was nesting, and Jenny had laughed. Being in Serena's company had never been this easy before, not even in Jenny's freshman year at school. Back then Serena was terrifying, in a good way, and it took a while for Jenny to grow into herself. When she did things went a little downhill, but that was neither here nor there. Serena asked about her designs, and she asked about Serena' charity work. She was the head of several committees at just twenty five years old – a far cry from her cotillion introduction. Serena was still consulting on films here and there, and she'd become a great reader of Dan's work, offering notes and suggestions. _

_Jenny envied the way Serena and her brother just seemed to fit. Anything else didn't work. That was something her teenage self would agree with, but for all the wrong reasons. _

'_Serena,' Jenny said a little later, when they'd settled into the more serious side of things. 'I'm so sorry. For everything with Juliet. I never wanted any of that to happen. I was an angry, selfish kid.'_

'_I know you're the one who told Blair what happened,' Serena said, setting her tea aside. _

'_Doesn't make up for it,' Jenny said, dismissing Serena's understanding. She didn't deserve it. 'And I'm sorry about Nate. Trying to sabotage the two of you. I was so stupid.'_

'_You loved him,' Serena said, like it was fact. Jenny couldn't argue. _

'_I think I loved the idea of him back then-'_

'_No.' Serena reached over and squeezed her hand. 'You did. First loves never really go away, either. They mark you. They keep in your memory and your heart.'_

'_Doesn't matter anyway,' Jenny said, half-laughing at herself. 'Nate never saw me as a viable option.'_

'_Given the way he looked at you after your fashion show at my Mom's event, I don't think that's true.'_

_There was a pause as Jenny thought back to that night. If she could go back and relive any one day of her life over and over, it would be that one. She'd finally shown people what she could do, what talent she had. Agnes wasn't a crazy bitch yet – she was a genuine friend, and Nate… Nate wanted her. She could feel it in the way he'd kissed her. That was something she did relive sometimes. _

'_Jenny, do you still care about him?' _

_Jenny shrugged. She could feel tears pricking on her lash line but blinked them away. 'I think I always will, but that's all in the past and it's better left there I think.'_

_Serena leaned over and drew Jenny into her. 'If you'd seen the kind of things I got up to not that long ago over Dan and Blair, you wouldn't feel the need to apologize. But thank you.'_

_They let go and Jenny held up a plate of chocolate cake. 'All is forgiven?'_

_Serena giggled her famous giggle. 'All is forgiven.' _

_They ate and drank more until Jenny had to head to the airport to catch her flight to Paris. On her way out the door, Serena gave her another hug. _

'_You know, Jenny, just because you think something's better left in the past, doesn't mean it is. Look at Dan and me. He fell in love with Blair, but ultimately he and I were meant to be. I think sometimes people need to be apart, so they can realize they need to be together.'_

_She squeezed Jenny's hand and said a final goodbye. On her way to the airport, Jenny couldn't help but feel calm. She was repairing her relationships and everything she'd damaged in her wake when she'd declared war on the Upper East Side, and it felt good. Having Serena back in her life was surely going to be a blessing, and working with Blair was making her happier than she'd been in a long time. Things were looking up. _

_There were others she'd inevitably have to face, but they were for another day. For now, she was going to enjoy Paris and, perhaps, wonder at Serena's words._

* * *

Nate was feeling hounded. In between meetings, he'd managed to steal away a break in his office at the Spectator. Head in his hands, he sighed heavily and closed his eyes. There was a lot of talk surrounding him lately. Not about whom he was dating, if he was dating, if he was even straight or anything else to do with his – currently failing – love life. It was all to do with a tip that had been leaked to the Post. Apparently Nate was planning on running for mayor. This was all news to him, of course. His grandfather had made the call to him some days earlier, overjoyed at the news and demanding to know why he hadn't been included on the matter.

Nate had been quick to dash his hopes, but still the journalists called for quotes and asked for interviews. His assistant, Katie, just so happened to be going away on maternity leave too, and that only added extra strain. She was superb at handling these kinds of things. He was going to miss her. But she had more important things to attend to, obviously. Speaking of, he still had to get through the pile of applications to cover the position while Katie was away, and he hadn't even looked at them yet.

Just as he turned his attention to them, he heard Katie talking with someone in the hallway.

'Do you have an appointment?' Katie asked.

'No, but don't worry. We're old friends!'

He checked his watch. Was he late to meet Jenny? Had she tracked him down? His stomach gave an involuntary leap at the thought. He stood up and straightened his tie, and just as the door started to open he cracked a grin. But it wasn't Jenny who met him at the threshold. Instead of leaping again, his stomach plummeted.

Sage Spence was, most certainly, not Jenny Humphrey.

'I'm sorry, Nate,' said Katie, glaring daggers at the back of Sage's head. 'She just barged right past me. I can't exactly fight her off.'

Nate shook his head. 'It's no problem, Katie. Why don't you take a break? Put your feet up.'

She looked grateful. 'Thanks, Nate.'

He closed the door on her as she walked away and then turned back to Sage. She was sitting on his desk; impossibly tanned legs crossed in front of him, on full display thanks to her – inappropriately short – black skirt. She was biting her lip and smirking as he came closer, but Nate wasn't exactly in the same frame of mind.

'You can't just barge into my office, Sage,' he said with authority, though his hands in his pockets gave off a distinctly casual vibe. She didn't seem to mind either way though. She turned to her satchel and pulled out a thin file.

'My résumé,' she said, handing it over. 'For the assistant position.'

Nate eyed her, eyes slightly creased, and tried to figure out if she was making fun of him. The last time they'd seen each other had not been very pleasant. It was his twenty third birthday, and they'd really been on the rocks for a while. She was busy choosing colleges and wanted to stay local so they could go on as they were, but Nate felt the relationship was coming to a natural end and, honestly, he was looking for something more mature. It surprised even him, and when he brought up the fact that there was a significant age difference, she went on and on about how it hadn't seemed to bother him when they were in bed together. Tantrums were thrown – on both ends, he might add. Nate could still carry a mood with the best of them. She'd called him unprofessional, and a terrible worker.

Yet here she was, fresh out of Columbia J School and sitting on his desk, much like she would in the long-ago evenings as a surprise. Except she was wearing significantly more clothes this time around.

Nate looked up at her from the paper in his hands, impressed.

'Journalism and business? Not what I expected.'

'Well I'm just full of surprises.'

Sage was more relaxed now, legs uncrossed and slightly open. Nate tried hard to keep his eyes on her face, but she was making it very difficult. One hand slid down her neck, the other rested on her thigh. She clearly remembered just how much he liked a woman's neck, or more specifically the spot just between the neck and the collarbone. He swallowed. He was a professional, _dammit_, and she was being everything but. He moved around the desk and she jumped down to follow him. He sat in his chair.

'What's wrong?' she asked innocently, leaning over his computer.

'Sage, I don't know if you being my assistant is such a good idea.'

She pouted, and he wondered for a moment if she'd done any growing up in their four years apart. Really, she should have. He had potential investors sitting just a room away, waiting on the Editor in Chief himself to come through and explain to them why working with the Spectator was the best thing they'd ever do. He reminded himself to mention the jet again. Since expanding coast to coast, it just made things easier. Chuck had gifted it to him originally, but he'd paid his best friend back in full. Nate realized how hard he was concentrating on anything but Sage, who had come around to his side of the desk and now stood in front of him.

'I actually think it would do us both the world of good,' she explained, hands on the arms of his chair and leaning down.

She came eye level with him, and Nate stood up and out of her reach once again.

'Sage, this is ridiculous,' he said, laughing. 'I'd be your boss. We have a complicated enough past as it is – I don't think you working for me, and then working _it_ for me is a good idea. I'm sorry, the answer's no.'

She seemed disappointed for a moment, but soon perked up and gave him another smile.

'Well then, I guess this is okay.'

She closed the distance between them quickly, and Nate was so distracted by her rounding on him that he failed to notice Katie's voice in the hall once again.

'Go ahead, it's a free for all today.'

'Thanks!'

Sage kissed him full on the mouth, and he was taken back right away to when he was twenty two and they were spending late nights at the office, in every room, on every possible surface. He dropped her résumé on the floor just as the door opened and someone exclaimed:

'Oh, I'm sorry!'

Dazed by the sheer force of Sage's kiss, it took Nate a moment to focus on Jenny as she stood in the doorway, mouth agape and eyes wide with shock.

'I was just coming to say that I can't make lunch.'

She slammed the door just as quickly as she'd opened it and just in time too, as the investors had just started filing out of the conference room.

* * *

Sage is back! Didn't she say Little J used to be her idol once upon a time? I'm not sure it'll go down that way…

Please leave some feedback – it's much appreciated. Shout out to **Dr. Holland,** whose work I adore, and who leaves such lovely reviews! xoxo


	4. Party Planning

**A/N:** Hi everybody!

Sorry this chapter took a little longer than the rest!

This story has written itself so quickly, and there seems to be so much I need to get down. This is all good news, obviously, but I do admit that I'm surprising myself. Usually when I write the chapters don't flow so easily but with this story, everything's different. Might be the wonderful characters of the Upper East Side, and the wonderfulness of Nate Archibald and Jenny Humphrey (both together, and apart).

In this chapter, one of Jenny's boys makes his return to the Upper East Side in preparation for her birthday party, which Blair and Serena are planning right down to the last detail. What else could we expect, really? Her birthday is coming up soon, and boy it's going to be an interesting night! Nate also attempts to make up for the Sage incident by dropping by Dan and Serena's to see Jenny, and Chuck makes an interesting discovery when looking through a property contract.

Onward!

* * *

**Party Planning**

As Nate rode the elevator up to Dan and Serena's apartment, he mulled over the previous week's events. It all began, he would later realize, the day Jenny Humphrey returned to the Upper East Side full time. Blair had, for all intents and purposes, decided to throw and impromptu party, and Jenny and Nate appeared to have been the guests of honour. Nate had recently been informed by his best friend, Blair's husband, that Blair had a plan. And a Waldorf with a plan was like nothing else. Having pressed Chuck further, Nate soon discovered that this 'plan' was in fact to get Nate and Jenny to be one another's date for Dan and Serena's wedding. Apparently there was unresolved tension.

The two weren't engaged yet, but Dan was planning to ask and honestly, everyone already knew the answer.

In the days following the party, Nate had been cornered by his ex-girlfriend, Sage. When he turned her down for the position of his assistant, she turned the tables and kissed him, just in time for Jenny to burst into the room, and for countless potential investors to start filing into the Spectator's offices. Thankfully, they hadn't seen anything but Mr. Archibald politely declining an applicant, and an inexplicably frazzled young designer as she rushed from the building.

So Nate found himself heading to see Jenny to, if nothing else, apologize for the Sage incident. Although he wasn't sure an apology was needed, he certainly felt like he owed Jenny one. He didn't want her, of all people, to think he was still the same guy, going from girl to girl and never stopping long enough to actually be happy.

Jenny was staying with Dan and Serena. She was, as she put it that past Tuesday morning (it was now Wednesday), fed up of Blair's meddling and jibing about Carter Baizen. God, even the guy's name made Nate's skin crawl in disgust. He wanted to believe Jenny, but she'd had her fair share of crazy exes. Between Asher and Damien and, well, _himself_, her track record wasn't great.

The elevator binged and he stepped out into the hall. Serena and Dan's apartment was not the penthouse. Rather, it was a quaint – by UES standards, that is – little place nestled on the seventh floor, and they only shared said floor with one other apartment. Nate went to their door and knocked, expecting Dan or Serena first. Instead, it was Jenny who greeted him. She was out of breath, messy haired and red in the face. Safety pins and a pencil between her teeth, her hands were almost full with fabric and zips and buttons and god only knew what else.

Nate closed the door behind him and smiled. He followed her through to the guest room. There was fabric strewn everywhere, in pastels and golds, ribbons and cloths. Nate wasn't sure if there was even a carpet underneath it all anymore. Aghast at the state of the place, and wondering if Dan had seen it yet, Nate put his hands in his pockets and looked around some more. By then, Jenny had emptied her mouth of all non-essentials and was sitting at the dressing table; her sewing machine had taken pride of place, but she was sitting facing him instead of it.

'What's up, Nate?' she asked, and he wasn't sure but he thought she was quite short with him. It was probably the stress of having to answer to Blair Waldorf. He'd been there.

'Just wanted to check in,' he began, but stopped when she scooped up her cell and checked the screen. She put it right back down. 'How are you?'

'I'm good. I'm actually really busy –'

'Is this a bad time?'

They spoke in unison, and as they did Jenny's phone beeped. She swept it up twice as fast as before, but Nate didn't miss the disappointment on her face when she looked at the screen, and then put it down once again.

'You expecting someone?' he prodded. He had a good idea who, but chose not to dwell on it.

'No,' she replied, but again her gaze trailed down to her cell.

Nate was suddenly agitated. 'I just wanted to apologize for the other day – for what you walked in on, but you've clearly got other stuff going on so I can go.'

'You mean you and your assistant?'

'She's not my assistant,' he said, folding his arms.

'Definitely looked like she was assisting you with something –'

'Jenny,' he said pointedly. 'That was Sage Spence. My ex-girlfriend.'

'Oh, the seventeen year-old!' Jenny crossed her own arms and stood up. 'You were, what, twenty two when you dated her?'

'Why does that matter?' Nate asked, frowning.

Jenny didn't speak, only shook her head, and it dawned quickly on Nate that she was referring to them and, more specifically, herself. One of the biggest issues that came between them – after Vanessa's lies, but they were something else – was the age difference. It wasn't that big, granted, but Nate was already heading off to college and moving on by the time she turned sixteen. It wouldn't matter now, Nate knew, because she was turning twenty four on the weekend.

He looked her over. She was still long legs and skinny arms, but she'd grown into them and into a genuine beauty. Nate's didn't have a big preference, but on Jenny less was always more. She was naturally striking, and while he liked the platinum blonde, he didn't miss the black eyes and wine lips. Although he was partial to a nice colour lipstick. More accurately a lovely pair of lips, and Jenny definitely had those.

'Nate?'

'What?'

'You were staring.'

'Oh,' he caught himself and looked at the floor. 'Sorry. I'm tired.' _Liar_, he told himself. He was about to speak when she checked her phone again, and his agitation came flooding back. 'Why are you waiting on him?'

'Excuse me?'

'Baizen. I already told you, he's not worth it.'

'Why does it matter?' Jenny asked, matching his attitude and then some. 'It's not your business.'

'He's not worth it, Jenny.' Nate repeated, ignoring her when she rolled her eyes. For whatever reason, she'd stopped denying it. And that made him even angrier. 'He's not good enough for you!'

'And who is?' Jenny chastised. 'I can make my own decisions.'

'Your history with men begs to differ.'

Jenny half-laughed, half-glowered at him. 'You want to talk about dating history? We'll have to reschedule. Not sure your list of exes could fit in this apartment.'

It was Nate's turn to glower.

'This isn't about me.'

'I'm sorry, are you offended?' Jenny snarked.

Nate bit back a retort quickly. He observed her. Cheeks still rosy from her work, chest rising and falling rapidly in annoyance. He sighed loudly and threw up his hands.

'Jenny, I didn't come here to get in a fight.'

'Then why did you come?'

'I wanted to apologize for the other day.'

She rolled her eyes. 'Nate, I really don't care if you're banging your assistant. Or not your assistant, or whoever she is. It doesn't matter to me.'

Nate nodded, deeply unhappy at the turn of events. He was hoping for more a chuckle at the past and maybe something to eat. 'Well alright then.'

'I should get back to work,' she said, and even she sounded disappointed at the way things had gone. 'See you later.'

'Yeah, sure.'

He wasn't sure why he was lingering. She was just looking at him now, waiting on him to leave but he couldn't seem to get his feet to move ._Must be all that tension Blair is so convinced of_, he thought bitterly. Eventually, Jenny turned to her work and Nate knew he'd overstayed his welcome. He turned for the door and passed Dan, who was home from a meeting with his publicist.

'Just propose and get the damn wedding over with, would you?' Nate said in passing.

Dan looked up from his mail, puzzled. 'Good to see you too, man!' he called, but Nate was already gone.

* * *

'We're home!'

Jenny had never been happier to hear Serena's sing-song voice coming through the halls. She leapt up from her seat, threw down her fabric, narrowly avoided stabbing her feet with pins and rushed through to greet her soon-to-be sister in law, and then her best friend.

'Eric!' Jenny squealed, launching herself at him. She hadn't seen him in far too long. Eric was knocked into the wall by the force of Jenny's hug, but he didn't seem to mind as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

'Six months is too long,' he said as they broke apart. 'You should get out to LA more often.'

'As much as I love bumping into faked up plastics and being whipped in the eye by hair extensions every time I turn around, I think I'll pass. You should move home,' Jenny said, ignoring the eye roll.

'LA isn't so bad,' Eric said.

They went through to the living room. Jenny and Eric got comfy and ready to catch up as Serena busied herself with making waffles. She'd become quite the force to be reckoned with since she and Dan had moved in together two years earlier, and her handy work in the kitchen was second to almost none. Serena was readying herself for motherhood, even if she didn't know it herself yet. All of her friends, Jenny included, could see her rushing around the kitchen as she prepared breakfasts for her doting husband and children. It would be sooner than she thought. Jenny observed Serena for a moment, then smiled and went back to Eric.

'Catch me up,' he said. 'What have I missed?'

It was half an hour later when Dan emerged from an afternoon writing session in his office. He yawned and stretched and then realized Eric had arrived and hugged his brother in law. When they parted, Dan looked down at Jenny. She was lying on her back on the couch, and Eric was sitting on the coffee table. It appeared to be a counselling session, although Eric probably wasn't charging her by the hour like he did all his other patients.

'What's uh… what's going on here?' Dan asked, looking between his sister, girlfriend and future brother in law. Serena was sitting in the armchair behind Eric, looking no more informed than Dan.

'Jenny's feeling some regret over a conversation she had with Nate earlier today,' Eric said, in his best psychologist's voice.

'We've been trying to work through it,' Serena added with a cheeky smile.

'So that's why Nate left here so pissed this morning,' Dan said, and Jenny groaned. 'What happened, Jen?'

'He's just so judgemental!'

'You're just learning this now?' Serena asked gently. 'Nate's always been that way. He's a great friend and he's a wonderful person. But if he doesn't like something, it's really hard to get him to see it clearly.'

'The way he kept going on about Carter –' She stopped herself and looked at Eric. So far she'd only told him about the Sage incident. _Damn it_, she thought.

'Carter?' Eric inquired, raising his eyebrows. 'As in Carter Baizen?'

'You didn't know about that whole…' Dan didn't try hard to hide his displeasure, 'thing?'

'I only knew about Nate and Sage. Jenny neglected to tell me the rest.'

'Because you can be just as judgy as Nate,' said Jenny, propping up on her elbows and poking her tongue out.

'This coming from Little J, former queen of Constance?'

'Don't you mean disgraced queen of Constance?' Jenny said, grabbing the nearest cushion and attempting to smother herself underneath it. Dan pulled it away and then forced her to sit up.

'Jen, what's really going on here?'

Jenny put her head in her hands. The truth was, Nate always, always seemed to press the right buttons. She could always rely on him to get her blood pumping. When she was a kid it was because she was crazy about him; the great Nate Archibald. As handsome as he was sweet, kind and an all-around good guy who didn't get lost in who his family was, or let anyone tell him what he could be. Jenny was consumed by him when she was younger, but as the years had worn on and she realized more and more how much he didn't want her back, she forced herself to get over him.

'I don't know. He just gets to me.'

'I wonder why,' Serena mused, sneaking a knowing glance Jenny's way. Jenny narrowed her eyes, but that only made Serena smirk.

'Can we get back to Carter?' Eric interjected suddenly. 'Because I'd like to know how that even happened in the first place.'

'London's a dangerous place,' Dan said, sitting on the arm of Serena's chair and pecking her on the lips.

'We just…' Jenny began slowly. 'We met over there, and we had fun. It doesn't even matter though because I haven't heard from him in a few days, so –'

'Is that unusual?' Dan asked.

Jenny didn't like where this was going. She'd been backed into a corner suddenly and now, here she was, about to confess her feelings about a guy she'd had no intention of developing feelings for in the first place. Not that she had feelings. She was just confused. She and Carter were friends, and they talked often, and that's what made his radio silence strange. She clasped her hands in her lap and soldiered on, because if she didn't talk about it to someone, it would just come out in another fight with someone else.

'A little. He called me the first morning I was here, and we usually text in the day. And so far… nothing.'

'Jenny,' Serena spoke up. 'If you like him, then you shouldn't let any of us – mainly Blair – tell you otherwise. If you say he's changed and you really believe that, then you shouldn't be afraid to be with him. If I had listened to Blair when she was telling me that I shouldn't be with Dan, we wouldn't be together now.'

Jenny sighed. 'Like I said, it doesn't even matter. We're just good friends.'

They all looked at her, but she chose to move on.

'Serena, are there any waffles left?'

* * *

'Everything is set.'

Blair Waldorf Bass stood in amongst chaos as her teams worked to prepare everything for Jenny's upcoming birthday party. With a clipboard and list of tasks on one hip, and a poorly Henry on the other, Blair tried to figure out if there was anything she'd missed. Of course there wasn't. Henry had his head resting on his mother's shoulder and was holding on to a lock of Blair's always-perfect hair. She turned and kissed the top of her son's head.

'What do you think, baby? Is Mommy the best?'

Henry didn't speak, but he did nod and Blair smiled in delight. Just then, the doors opened and Serena swept into the room, blinding the workers with her bright smile and nearly taking one's eye out with her long golden hair. She looked around the room and then gave Blair an approving nod. They'd decided to have the party in Chuck's newest building. Nestled on East 82nd Street, Penance was proving to a successful nightspot for society's elite. The children of senators and congressmen frequented the place, as did celebrities. The bouncers turned away anyone below the A list, naturally. Blair was certain Jenny would love it.

She'd decorated the room with two high-flying chandeliers. The lighting was low and romantic, and Blair was having white and lilac hydrangeas flown in from Japan. She remembered how much Jenny loved them in her younger years at Constance, and she was sure that taking Jenny back to a simpler time would only help Blair's plan to relight any fire Jenny still had burning for a certain Mr. Archibald. The theme of the party was simple; royalty. A girl only turns twenty four once.

'Jenny's going to love it, B.'

'Of course she will,' Blair said confidently, but she soon fell into a loving smile as Serena took Henry from her arms and wrapped him up in a great big hug. She soothed him and swayed and he soon fell asleep on her shoulder.

'He loves you,' Blair said and Serena grinned. 'Do you want something to eat?'

'No, thanks. I'm feeling a little queasy this morning.'

'I hope you don't have what my poor Henry does. How is it having Jenny living with you?'

Serena tried to remain tight-lipped, but Blair knew she'd get it out of her friend eventually. Jenny had opted to stay with her brother for the next couple of weeks, and while it meant there were no ample opportunities for Blair to prod her protégé for information about her romantic life, she did have Serena to employ on that front. Blair ran her hand over her son's forehead to check his temperature and then, satisfied, led Serena over to a leather booth so they could plan their next move. Serena wasn't aware of the full plan yet, and wouldn't be until Dan proposed. _If only Humphrey would hurry up!_

'Well… Jenny and Nate had a fight yesterday morning.'

'I knew something had happened,' Blair said, leaning across the table that divided them. 'He came over and went right to Chuck's expensive drinks cabinet.' He had two. One in the kitchen, the other in his office. The one in his office was reserved for truly dire situations or exceptionally joyous occasions. After disappearing into Chuck's office, Nate was eventually coaxed out when Blair told him dinner had been served.

'He had a face like thunder,' Blair said. Serena drew her lips into a thin line.

'From what Jenny told us it was because he brought up Carter. She's getting really sick of it, and she insists they're just friends.'

'Oh Little J,' Blair said in a sing-song voice. 'If it were really true she wouldn't be getting so agitated. No, something absolutely happened between her and Baizen, and we need to sever the tether before it's too late.'

'You make it sound so violent.'

'No violence necessary. A true queen knows how to play to her strengths.'

'And what are your strengths? I mean, besides the obvious?' Serena was smirking.

'Oh mon ami. The biggest thing we have working on our side is that I want to offer Jenny a permanent position here in Manhattan.'

'Just to keep her away from Carter?'

Blair looked appalled for a moment, before softening into a look of mild acceptance. 'I most certainly am not. Jenny Humphrey, though years ago I would have been loath to admit it, is very talented. She's smart, she understands this business and most importantly, she knows how this world works. And why wouldn't she? She learned from the best.' Blair said, looking pleased with herself.

'I am not giving Jenny this promotion just to keep her from Carter Baizen. That's just a pleasant, added bonus.'

Serena was rolling her eyes but, deep down, Blair knew she agreed. All their lives they'd heard stories of Carter Baizen. He was charming but certainly no prince, and he gambled away much of his inherited fortune by the time he was twenty one. But Blair had done her research upon learning he and Jenny were… _corresponding_. She'd discovered that Carter was making a vast fortune, atop the family money he came into when he turned twenty five, in the restaurant business.

'Well, either way, I think Jenny deserves the vice-president's position. She's more than earned it and maybe now that she's moving back to Manhattan full time, Eric will come too.'

Blair knew Serena desperately missed having her younger brother around. He was in town for the party but would be flying back to LA Monday evening. Blair reached over and touched her best friend's arm.

'He'll be back soon, I'm sure. The allure of our world is too strong to resist. Just look at Jenny – she could have stayed full time in Paris if she wanted. I even offered her a position over there but she turned it down. She always came back,' Blair said, then pulled a face. 'Even though London was calling.'

'So you'll offer her the promotion at her party?'

'And she'll be a fool to say no. It's a wonderful opportunity and it'll bring her home for good.'

'And what about Nate?' Serena said, surprising Blair. Blair took it in her stride.

'I just feel it would be a crime not to give them their fair shot,' she said. She couldn't say why, obviously. Blair had been on hand to help Dan choose the perfect ring. She suspected he was going to propose on the weekend. She hoped it wouldn't be on Saturday; she didn't want it to take away from Jenny's celebration, and all the praise she herself would inevitably get for the party.

Serena smiled. 'Saturday's going to be a big day for Jenny.'

And how right she was.

* * *

Chuck Bass was a busy man. He was a real estate mogul, a three time recipient of the Business Man of the Year Award, a self-employed billionaire and a chairman of several boards and committees. He was a brother and a best friend, but most importantly he was a husband and a father, and as he sat in his office, in his pyjamas and robe, rocking his four year-old son in his arms, he'd truly, never felt happier.

Henry had been sick all day. After arriving home with Blair, he'd thrown up on several pieces of furniture and on the hem of Blair's dress. Rather than scold him, however, Blair simply cuddled him before passing him to his father so she could change, clean up and then come and take care of her baby. After she'd fallen asleep in bed, with Henry wrapped in her arms, Chuck had gotten up and begun heading downstairs to do some late night reading.

Henry had called out and said he wanted his Daddy and so Chuck had taken his son with him to his office where they now sat. With Henry hugged close to his chest, sucking on his thumb, Chuck went about his reading. He was looking over paper for an expansion of property in the West Village, where he'd been eyeing an old building that, if fixed up properly, could become a wonderful night spot.

It just so happened – he later discovered – that another entrepreneur, who mainly dealt in things overseas, was also interested in the building. Chuck had, of course, stuck his PI on the tail of this businessman from London, and finally Chuck had the documents on his desk. When he read the name of the man, he had to double check.

'What?' he said to himself, careful not to wake his boy. He checked Henry was still fast asleep, and then went back to the papers.

So Carter Baizen was planning to open a restaurant in Manhattan, and apparently he already had a name in mind. Chuck was somewhat tempted to let him win the auction, just to amuse himself with thoughts of Carter trying to play with the big boys. Despite being the oldest, Carter had always been one of the most immature pieces of trash Chuck had had the misfortune of knowing. And by the look of the name of the restaurant, it seemed Chuck's darling wife was on to something when she lectured Jenny Humphrey about who she was rolling around the sheets with.

Jenny, of course, had denied it all.

But given that Carter planned to open a restaurant called J, Chuck suspected Jenny wasn't quite being honest.

* * *

**A/N:** Ugh, I'm sorry but Daddy!Chuck is literally one of my favourite things! Hope you liked the update - things are going to start heating up soon!  
Please leave some feedback - it's much appreciated! x


	5. Victoria Secret

**A/N:** This chapter gave me hell. I did not enjoy writing it at all. It just didn't flow like the others have, but I really hope that doesn't reflect too much in the writing. I know it took a while and I'm sorry about that! I think once Jenny's birthday has been and gone, the story will really start to pick up speed.

The main thing I wanted to establish in this chapter was Carter, and I'm actually really happy with that part.

Onward!

* * *

**Victoria Secret**

* * *

'Jen!'

The pounding knock on the bedroom door woke Jenny from a deep, vodka induced sleep. She turned her head to the side and found Eric lying next to her on the bed, still in his shirt and trousers. He groaned loudly and rolled onto his stomach, then buried his head under one of the six pillows. What was it with rich people and pillows? Jenny pushed herself up onto her elbows and surveyed the mess that was her room. More accurately, Dan and Serena's guest room. And she and Eric looked to have destroyed it. There were scattered bottles of alcohol, empty cups and lots of chick flicks strewn across the floor.

'Oh, no…' Jenny muttered, rubbing her eyes. Surprisingly, she didn't have a headache. But she felt wretched in her stomach.

It had been a night spent reminiscing and confessing, though Jenny chose to ignore just exactly what she'd confessed. She suspected Eric would tease her about Carter endlessly later on.

'Come on, Jenny. Let's get breakfast,' Dan called to her through the door.

She replied with a groan much like Eric's, but within fifteen minutes she'd managed to scrape herself together to head out for a morning bagel. Her hair was up in a top bun, she'd pulled on some light wash jeans, tan ankle boots and a cream blouse. Finally, she added a leather jacket. The one downfall of being a designer was that the press always wanted pictures. No matter if she was just running to the store, or heading downtown to get a manicure, or just to the atelier, she always had to look her best.

'You reflect on Waldorf, and if you look bad, Waldorf looks bad,' she muttered to herself, Blair's words emanating from her memory.

Grabbing her bag and slipping her sunglasses on, she met Dan in the hallway after brushing her teeth.

'You look like hell,' he said, feigning sympathy. Jenny hit him on the arm and they headed out.

Half an hour later, after they'd decided to get coffee and a bagel to go, they found themselves wandering around Central Park. It had been a while since Jenny had taken a breath and looked around, and only then did she realize how much she missed just that; wandering. For years she'd had goals. She'd achieved so much in such little time, and now that she was home she wondered if maybe she should slow down and drink it all in. Of course there was still the spring line to consider for next year, but she did miss idle summer days spent with her family. Speaking of…

'Have you spoken to Mom?'

'No,' Dan said sternly, taking a swig of his coffee to avoid a more in depth answer.

Jenny tried not to roll her eyes but it was no use. Ever since The Incident, Dan had avoided any and all contact with their mother. Even his Dad's reasoning hadn't worked. Dan had always been stubborn, but it was starting to get ridiculous and even though he was justified in his annoyance, Jenny wasn't sure how much more of this rift she could take.

'She's sorry you know. She didn't mean it –'

'Yes she did,' Dan said, stopping in his tracks and turning to her with a half-laugh. 'She did mean it, and it was hurtful. To Serena and to me. If she is sorry, she has a funny way of showing it with her lack of phone calls and her lack of texts and emails and everything.'

Jenny was resigned. 'Fair enough. She has tried calling, though. You've just never picked up.'

'Yeah, the first few times because I didn't want to say something I'd regret. Then she just stopped, like it didn't matter anymore.'

Jenny led him to a nearby bench. 'Has anyone ever told you you're a pain in the ass, Humphrey?'

'Has anyone ever told you you're a terrible liar, Humphrey?'

Jenny scowled at him and drank the rest of her coffee.

'Kidding, you're actually scarily good at it.'

'Aren't we all?' Jenny challenged, hooking an eyebrow.

'Fair enough. What I mean is… there's something there, isn't there? With you and Carter?'

'Not this again,' Jenny groaned. 'I already spilled enough to Eric last night, even if I can't remember just how much.'

'Oh I know you did.' Dan was grinning. 'You're pretty loud when you're drunk. Plus Serena was throwing up all night and she had stomach cramps, so I didn't get much sleep anyway.'

'Is she okay this morning?'

'I think so. She's tired but she's gone to take care of Henry for a few hours. I think she caught whatever he had a few days ago. And don't change the subject – I know you like Carter, and like wasn't the only L word you threw around last night.'

'Oh, God!' Jenny put her head in her hands, praying for anything to help her forget. Luckily, Dan had just the thing.

'Alright, never mind Carter for now. What happened with you and Nate?'

'Oh God, oh God,' she repeated, looking at him through her fingers. 'This is just the worst week.'

'He was pretty upset when he left. Told me to get the damn proposal over with already.'

'Honestly Dan I think that would be best for everyone.'

He laughed briefly, but it faded and there was a glint in his eye as he looked at her.

'I don't get you two.'

'What's to get?' Jenny asked, frowning.

'Never mind. It's just… he cares about you, you know? He always asked about you when you were away, always wanted to make sure you were okay, and he always took care of you when you needed him. I don't understand why the two of you can't seem to just… figure it out. You should talk to him.'

Jenny rolled her eyes. 'I think I'd rather talk about Carter.'

Dan threw an arm around her shoulders as they stood up and began the walk back to his apartment.

'Seriously, I think you two should talk.'

* * *

'Serena, hey.' Nate kissed her cheek as she came through his office door with a sleeping Henry on her hip. He took her bag and pulled out the chair opposite his desk for her to sit. Henry woke up quite suddenly and, after Serena had set him down, he took a running jump at his godfather and giggled as Nate swung him up into his arms.

'Hey, buddy! You feeling better?'

'Yes!'

'Yes…?' Serena chided him, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

Henry took his cue with a smile. 'Yes, thank you!'

'Good,' Nate said, ruffling his hair. He set him down and led him over to a trunk he had in the corner of his office. Henry immediately threw the lid open so that it banged against the wall, but Nate only smiled wider as Henry pulled out toys upon toys out. With Henry occupied, Nate strolled back to his desk and sat down opposite Serena.

'How long have you had those toys here?'

'About three years,' Nate said, chuckling. 'I love that kid. So, what can I do for you?'

'A friend can't just visit a friend for lunch?'

'Serena, it's ten thirty.'

'Breakfast, then?'

'Of course a friend can,' said Nate, knitting his fingers together in his lap. 'But that's just it. We're friends. I know something's wrong, so tell me.'

Serena's gaze travelled to Henry, and her heart skipped at the sight of him with his dumper trucks and his little colourful abacus. He looked so happy, so fulfilled, and she knew that he was so loved. It made her ache inside, and suddenly her eyes were welling.

'Do you want kids, Nate?'

He looked surprised by the question and took a moment to compose himself before answering with a smile.

'Of course. Whenever I'm with Henry I think about the day that it's my own son, or daughter, and it excites me. Why do you ask?'

Serena wiped at her eyes and tactfully covered her sadness with her million dollar smile. But Nate could always see right through her and he practically leapt over the table to sit beside her and take her hands in his.

'What is it?' he asked. 'Are you okay?'

'Nate, I think I'm pregnant,' she admitted, and then collapsed into tears in his arms.

'Woah, woah,' he said. 'It's okay. Isn't this a good thing?'

'We're not married, and normally that's not a big deal but for us, in this world, it does, a-and we're not… Dan's so stressed with his new book, and there's so much going on with me and the committees and it's just not the right time, and we're still not speaking with his mother and I just… I can't… I don't know what to do.'

'Serena, don't cry!' Henry suddenly shouted, careering towards her and throwing himself into her lap. He hugged her fiercely around the middle. Nate touched Henry's cheek and then Serena's, and she was struck suddenly into calmness.

She'd be lying if she said that, in her younger years when part of her heart belonged to Nate, she hadn't imagined the two of them making a life together. Even though it was supposed to be Blair and Nate, Serena had always been a defining factor in all of Nate's relationships, and she knew that. She felt bad that most of his girlfriends scurried away at the smallest mention of Serena Van der Woodsen. He'd loved her for years, and she'd felt guilty for longer.

Sitting there with him and Henry in her lap, they looked like a little family. Serena smiled. Nate was her family, and he always would be. But no one could ever come close to Dan's place in her life. He was everything. Nate wiped away a stray tear and left his hand on her cheek.

'Dan's the luckiest guy in the world, and he loves you so much. You're going to be amazing parents.'

'Thank you, Nate.' She leaned into his touch.

Someone cleared their throat in the doorway, and they both turned to find Jenny watching them, arms crossed and eyebrows raised higher than the Empire State Building.

* * *

Carter had never been good at picking gifts. During his short-lived romance with Serena Van der Woodsen, he'd wanted to spoil her but, at the time, money had been something of an issue. Now, with Jenny, he was financially secure and that was just him being modest. He was rich, and he liked the gifts he gave to reflect that. But he was terrible at choosing things, even for someone he knew as well as Jenny. He thought about calling on Erin to help, but he knew that Jenny would suss him out right away and at the very least, he wanted to surprise her by doing something of his own accord.

He wasn't too sure about Jenny Humphrey. He was sure he liked her, of course. God, she was brilliant. Street smart and intellectual and beautiful and able to play a good game or two, but the sudden rush of feeling when she'd told him she might not be coming back to London had him panicked. They weren't supposed to be anything. She was the best sex he'd ever had, and he'd had his fair share. Something was different with Jenny, and he couldn't put his finger on what exactly it was.

So it remained that he liked her, and that in itself was a problem. He liked her enough to be debating gifts for a person who was half a world away, and he had a sinking feeling that he was alone in his feelings. But then she had seemed so… disheartened on the phone, and that was his fault really. He'd been unenthusiastic when talking about her birthday, but it was just a facade. A well-honed method of coping. Growing up on the Upper East Side made actors of them all, and Carter could hide his feelings with the best of them. But something about Jenny made him want to stop hiding.

And Jesus Christ, that was scary.

His desk phone buzzed and Erin's voice chimed into his thoughts.

'The real estate agent from Manhattan is on the line. Are you in the office?'

Ah, the pinnacle of his last few months' work. His new restaurant, which he'd been planning for a while now but had only recently named, was set to be a popular night spot; if he could only wrangle the property he really wanted. There was interest from another party, and Carter was sure it was going to go to auction. He had plenty of funds to back himself up, and he truly loved what he did, but it was a commitment.

Not just to his career, but to Jenny. J was for her, and as much as he ignored the fact, it was slowly dawning on him that this was a _serious_ thing. This playful, friends with benefits, sex at all hours and no commitment had rapidly becomes movies on pay per view in their pyjamas, spending the nights just sleeping, wrapped up in each other, and talking every day. Carter had fallen hard, but he couldn't pinpoint when or where.

'Mr Baizen?' Erin prompted.

He cleared his throat and swung his feet down off the desk.

'Tell Miss Thorpe I'll call her back. I have some errands to run.'

It came to him as he walked the streets of Soho, then caught the tube to the Embankment and from there walked to Chelsea. He loved this city more than New York. There was something in the air; a closeness of people despite the sheer size of the place. He loved to walk around in the free air, in the place he'd found himself after years of running away and pissing away his family name and wealth. He was man now, with things he treasured and wanted to last.

His feet wandered with his thoughts and, before long, he was outside The Corner Place, and staring at him through the window was Jenny's very favourite cake. Victoria Sponge. Smiling to himself, he pulled out his cell and dialled his assistant's number.

'Erin,' he said, beaming, when she answered promptly. 'Scramble the jet and my pilot for this Saturday.'

Erin sighed and then, under her breath, muttered 'finally'. Carter smiled wider and put the phone down, then said to himself:

'There's someone I need to get to.'

* * *

_I know this is much shorter than the others, sorry! Buuut it looks like things are about to get veeery interesting on the Upper East Side. _  
_Please review! It makes my day x_


	6. Heartbeats

**A/N: **Hey guys! Remember when I started this story last year and then sort of disappeared? Oops. A lot happened, in real life and in fic life. I got completely obsessed with the 100, so my focus has largely been on that. As for real life, you don't need to know the details really. All is well now, and I bring you a gift!

My Jenny/Nate muse arrived a few days ago and my love for Gossip Girl, while always there, started bubbling to the surface once again and here we are with this update! Btw, Jenny's birthday is on June 2nd, I've decided, so she's a Gemini. Personally, I think it fits. I myself am a Gemini, so I think it's safe for me to say that.

I am truly sorry that it's taken so long to get this chapter up. I can only hope my faithful readers are still out there. Enjoy! x

* * *

**Heartbeats**

'I'm sorry, I seem to have walked into the past,' Jenny said quickly, her hand still gripping tight to the doorknob.

She wasn't sure what'd she'd been expecting, walking into Nate's office without stopping to ask his secretary – who had been suspiciously absent anyway – after the last time she'd tried that and been met with the image of him and that young, barely legal Sage something… Well, it certainly wasn't this. Nate and Serena both turned to look at her, his hand still on Serena's cheek, and gawped. Serena wiped at her eyes.

Nate cleared his throat and sprang back, as though Serena had sprouted horns and a tail, and he ran a nervous hand through his hair. Serena craned her neck to look at him, eyes narrowed. But Jenny wasn't fazed; sure it had been a shock, but come_ on_, Serena was more in love with Dan than Hades was in love with Persephone, and that was something. Jenny wasn't sure where that had come from, but she didn't dwell on it. Instead she proceeded into the room, eyes wide with awe, and her gaze darted to Serena's stomach as she rose from her seat.

'You're pregnant?' Jenny said in a whisper, but the smile was evident in her tone as she approached her soon-to-be sister-in-law, and then engulfed her in a squeezing hug. 'This is so exciting!'

Serena hugged her back with equal vigour, and over the blonde's shoulder Jenny glanced at Nate, who was kneeling beside little Henry and showing off some tiny toy trains. Nate looked up at the same moment, and for a few seconds Jenny's smile was only for him. As quickly as it had come, it was gone again and Serena squealed as she drew back from Jenny's embrace, taking up all of her attention. Jenny grinned at her.

'It's really, really early days,' Serena said with barely contained glee. 'And I don't know if it's for certain yet.'

She glanced back at Henry then, as he crashed through the pile of toys he and Nate had been playing with and made a beeline for Jenny. She bent down and kissed the top of his head, then lifted him so he sat neatly on her hip between her and Serena. Henry grabbed on to a lock of Serena's perfect hair, but not too tight; it seemed to be a security thing, and Jenny smiled at the closeness. Nate was watching them, still over in the corner, with a smile touching his lips as he slipped his hands into his pockets. He looked particularly handsome today, Jenny noted, not that it was surprising. His face was ridiculous.

'I haven't told Dan – I'm not sure when the right time would be.'

'Are you going to tell him before or after you're sure? Have you taken a test?' Jenny asked, doing her best to cover Henry's ears with one hand.

Serena scrunched her nose at the display, but Jenny was resigned.

'He's Chuck and Blair's son,' she said, distracting Henry with kisses. 'Who knows who he'll tell your news to before you get the chance!'

Serena giggled. 'He's four years old.'

'And hardly a little Gossip Girl in the making,' Nate remarked, smirking.

Jenny rolled her eyes, and Serena took Henry from her arms.

'Alright,' Serena said, gathering her bag. 'Henry and I are going shopping,' she booped him on the nose wither own, and he giggled.' So I'll leave the two of you to…' she looked between Jenny and Nate, who were busy looking anywhere but at one another.

'I'll see you both on Saturday,' she said, giving Jenny's hand a final squeeze before she and Henry departed the room.

The silence that followed was not an uncomfortable one, but it was far from friendly. Nate set about gathering up the toys that Henry had left strewn around the corner. Jenny took the time to look around; she'd never really been in his office at The Spectator before. She'd been in the doorway, completely floored by Sage something-or-other as she manhandled Nate behind his desk. Jenny shook that image from her mind with force. Sadly, it was burned into her retinas and it bothered her to no end, reliving it. Only because it was such a surprise, of course. That's all. That's it, she swore. But looking at Nate now, distracted in the corner with the sunlight just catching the top of his head and bathing him in a glow, well… Jenny wasn't so sure.

Something stirred in her stomach, feelings long since buried that had first awoken back at Constance. She was taken back to when he'd found her that night with Agnes and Max, them yelling at each other on the street, him grabbing her and spinning her around –

'Did you come to apologize?' he asked suddenly, rising from his spot on the floor and rounding his desk to stand opposite her.

Jenny narrowed her eyes. Whatever edgings of feelings might have sprung up were quickly diminished at the sight of his arrogant face, replaced with a pooling warmth in her stomach. She clenched her jaw.

'Actually, I was going to give you the chance to apologize to me.'

Nate folded his arms. 'What?'

Jenny stood her ground. 'You came to my apartment –'

'It's Serena and Dan's apartment –'

'Whatever,' Jenny said, raising her palms to face the ceiling. 'You came over and judged me, and that wasn't cool, Nate.'

'I judged you?' he said, raising his eyebrows. 'Was what it you said, that my list of exes couldn't even fit in the apartment?' he said, his volume rising slightly by the end of the sentence.

They stared at each other, both waiting for the other to make a move so they could counter, but Jenny herself couldn't find the right words to hit back with, and he seemed at a loss too. She turned her gaze to the ceiling, reliving their past conversation, wondering why on earth they couldn't seem to get along this time around. She was mature now, as was he, and they were both happy with where they were. There were no complications, no hurdles to get over in their friendship; she wasn't trying to sabotage his relationships and he wasn't jumping to conclusions about her. Theoretically they should have already been laughing over lunches and getting drinks with the others and running in each other's close circles. But they weren't.

There was something in the way, and Jenny couldn't put her finger on what it was.

She turned her gaze back on Nate. He was leaning against his desk, arms still folded but shoulders relaxed, and he was looking at her with kind eyes. Jenny softened under his gaze.

'What's wrong with us?' she asked quietly.

He chuckled, shaking his head. 'I really don't know.'

Something in his tone of voice told Jenny that he wasn't being completely honest, but she let it slide. She knew this was awkward; she was on the other side of the awkward, for God's sake. So she pushed on, closing the distance between. She came and settled next to him by the desk, smiling down at her feet. She felt like a kid again, and she both loved and hated that he could do that to her in equal measure. She kicked her heels on the dark, wooden floor.

'For what it's worth,' Nate began, turning to look at her. 'I wish we hadn't argued when I came over. That's not what I wanted.'

Jenny nodded along.

'Then what did you want?' she asked, finding his eyes with her own and waiting with baited breath for the answer.

She certainly hadn't intended on the question sounding so loaded, but it was out there now and there wasn't much she could do about it. Nate studied her for a moment, and Jenny tried with gusto not to seem vulnerable under his gaze. There were a lot of people she could hide from but Nate was not one of them. He'd seen her at the top of her game, and then again at her worst, or at least one level above it. Thankfully, he hadn't been there at the exact moment when Dan had confronted Chuck and revealed to Blair the awful truth about that night… Nate hadn't seen the dreadful state she'd been in that whole time. The darkest part of her life hadn't appeared on his visual radar. He knew about it, of course. Everybody knew about it. But it cut her a little deeper to know that he, Nate Archibald, had judged her alongside everyone else. His opinion mattered. He mattered… Nate smiled at her, and fifteen year old Jenny's stomach would have flipped. Soon to be twenty-four Jenny managed to save face, but something did kindle inside her, and she warmed all over.

'I want us to be friends again,' he said simply, pairing it with a hapless shrug.

Jenny's eyes flickered across his face. He was still the same seventeen year-old that she'd fallen hard for, even if his facial hair was a little more impressive now. Jenny looked down to where their hands sat between them, almost touching. She covered his with her own.

'I want that too,' she said happily, and then stood up.

Nate remained frozen to his spot, and he only looked away from where her hand had been on his when she spoke again. Jenny had crossed the room and was heading for the door.

'Do you have any meetings this afternoon?' she asked. Nate shook his head, and Jenny grinned. 'Good, let's go. We have a few years to catch up on, after all.'

Nate chuckled, but he didn't hesitate to follow her out of the room.

* * *

Chuck had always admired his wife. She was Blair Waldorf Bass, after all, and she was exquisite, and while she was many things; a businesswoman, a public figure, designer and CEO, she was most of all the mother of his child – and hopefully one day _children. _Chuck's favourite part of the day was whenever he was with his family, but with his son off being bought ridiculous outfits by his godmother, Chuck had his wife all to himself. Alright, they both had some business to attend to, but that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy each other in the process.

'Not this moment, Chuck,' Blair said through a growl.

He'd come up behind her, brushed away her hair and kissed the nape of her neck.

'You might change your mind,' he said against her skin. 'When I tell you what I happened to discover during one of my late night study sessions.'

Blair turned in her chair and kissed him full on the mouth. She took his face in her hands and smoothed his hair back.

'And what, my darling, might that be?'

Chuck moved around to take his seat at the head of their dining table. Dorota, who had been seeing to Blair's lunch, brought out a platter for him to enjoy. He thanked her kindly with a smile, and asked after Leo and Ana, who were proving to be great playmates for Henry some evenings despite the age gap.

'It won't be long before I make the call for their admissions to Constance and St Jude's,' Chuck said easily, and Dorota gasped.

'Mr Chuck, I am grateful but we could never afford –'

'Don't be ridiculous, Dorota,' Blair said, waving a hand.

'You've done so much for our family,' Chuck said, placing a hand on Dorota's arm. 'It's done.'

'Mr Chuck, I don't –'

Chuck smiled, and Dorota gave in. She touched his hand and smiled, somewhat glassy-eyed.

'Thank you, Mr Chuck, Miss Blair.'

Blair smiled warmly at the woman, before requesting more salad. Dorota complied and went through to the kitchen, leaving Chuck to quietly go back to admiring his wife from where she sat to his right. Blair handed him the paper from the end of the table, and Chuck opened it to the real estate section. He liked to be current, to keep up with how property was doing all over the city. Just as he was getting lost in a story about the upcoming property auction he planned to be a part of, Blair cleared her throat at him and peered at him over the top of the paper. Chuck let a smirk touch his lips before folding it back up and putting it aside. Blair reached over and entwined their hands, before giving his a gentle squeeze.

'Spill, husband,' she said, flitting her eyelashes.

'Turns out there's a foreign party interested in the building I'm looking at,' he said.

'The businessman from Tokyo you lost out to last year?'

Chuck pursed his lips. He wouldn't call it 'lost' out… more that he _got_ out before it was too late. He shook his head.

'London, actually,' he said, and he watched as the pieces fell into place on her perfect face.

'Baizen,' she muttered, squeezing his hand a little tighter.

'The one and only,' he replied. 'I'm surprised the snake is arrogant enough to go after a property that has my name attached. It's certainly bold.'

'You mean it's certainly _stupid_,' Blair corrected him. She began cutting her food with a heavy hand. 'Has Robert found anything?'

Chuck smiled at how well his wife knew him. Of course his PI had been on the case.

'Apparently Baizen means to open a restaurant. Classy place for classy clientele, romantic… all the makings of a great spot.'

'Why would he even want to show his face on the island? We made it perfectly clear he isn't welcome here.'

Chuck leaned forward. 'It seems Jenny Humphrey hasn't been completely honest with us.'

Blair narrowed her eyes. 'I knew it.'

'Carter means to open his first restaurant on American soil, and not only that, but he already has a name in mind. A familiar name.'

Blair's eyes widened to the size of saucers. 'No,' she whispered.

'A restaurant named after our very own little J,' Chuck revealed, clicking his tongue. 'Who ever would have thought?'

Blair drummed her fingers along the table.

'This can't happen,' she said, and then she excused herself and swept from the room.

Chuck relaxed back in his chair. He didn't like Carter, and Baizen was not welcome in their city, but he had to admit he was a little excited about what might come of this new discovery. Were Baizen and Jenny really together? And where did that leave Nate? Chuck knew his best friend better than anyone, and he only had to look once at Nate, and the way Nate looked at Jenny, to know exactly what his friend's feelings were on the matter of the blonde Humphrey.

Where did the return of Baizen leave Blair's plan of attack for the upcoming nuptials?

If Dan would just get the damn proposal over with, of course.

* * *

'I can't believe she did that!'

Jenny cringed at the mere thought. One of Nate's ex-girlfriends - although from the way he was telling the story she seemed to be more of a fun buddy than anything else – had caught him on the phone to another woman, which later turned out to be his mother, and locked him out of his own suite at the Empire. He'd called security, of course, and it hadn't taken long to get back in, but by the time he had, she'd cut through his favourite blue shirt with a pair of scissors. Needless to say, she was no longer welcome at the Empire, any other building owned by Bass Industries, or within fifty feet of the beautiful Archibald Jenny found herself walking beside then.

'Your poor shirt,'

'It was my favourite shirt!'

Nate sighed, looking utterly devastated as he threw his arms out, coffee to go in one and his suit jacket in the other. Jenny had his tie safely in her purse. It was heating up considerably, being the last day of May, though Jenny had to admit she didn't much mind seeing him glistening just a little bit in the warmth.

'It was the one you wore when you were still trying to seduce me,' he said then, murmuring against his coffee cup as he brought it to his lips for another drink. Good thing he'd gone for iced coffee, she thought, because she had a half a mind to knock it up into his face for that remark. Jenny wrinkled her nose, choosing instead to breeze past it.

'I wouldn't exactly call it trying to seduce you…' Jenny said, rolling her eyes. The hot feeling of embarrassment was creeping up the back of her neck and it was most unwelcome. Nate didn't seem to feel the same way, however, and carried on smiling.

'Then what would you call it?'

Jenny smirked. 'Are you flirting with me, Archibald?'

They'd found themselves wandering Central Park, taking in the colours of summer as they burst around them. Jenny couldn't remember ever feeling this at home in London. Sure, she liked it there a great deal and there were many a beautiful sights to see. But being in New York, having her friends close by – having her father and Dan close by, it all just meant something more. And now walking around with Nate like it was the easiest thing in the world? It just felt like home. Jenny studied him for a moment. She needed to slow down, _right_ down. That was how it happened the first time, and the second and third. She always fell too hard and too quickly for him, and every time it blew up in her face.

'Reaching,' she said finally, and then with a smile in his direction, 'For something that wasn't right.'

They came upon the reservoir, surrounded by runners and tourists and families and yet, somehow, it was still calming. They stopped, and Nate turned to her. His eyes gave away something that Jenny hoped hard he wouldn't put into words, but a moment later any doubt she had seemed to melt away. She felt all alone in the world; in his world, like she was all he could see. He had a knack for making her feel that way, and she remembered it all too well. She opened her mouth to something, anything just to relieve the silence.

'It wasn't right back then,' he said then, pinning her with a look that stilled her. Jenny's breath caught.

'Um…' she began, trying to find the words.

He moved closer. She didn't protest; she had to admit, she'd always liked the smell of his cologne and the feeling she got low in her stomach whenever he turned his hips in her direction. Jenny bit her lip as he came closer still, and when his hand came up to brush away the bangs from her face, her eyes fluttered closed under his touch. She wondered if he could hear her heartbeat; she certainly could.

'You've got something right here,' he whispered, and Jenny opened her eyes.

He was even closer now, impossibly closer, and he withdrew his hand to show her the small red thread he'd retrieved from her hair. She smiled fondly.

'I was…' she scratched the back of her neck, expecting him to move away. He didn't.

'It was just something I was working on this morning, or late last night. I don't even know in this city.'

He chuckled with her and stepped back. Jenny relaxed, releasing a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding in all that time. They kept their eyes on each other for a moment, neither of them moving to step back. There was more distance between them than there had been, but Jenny still felt his skin against hers, still felt his fingers on her face, still burnt like the sun under his touch.

She moved back.

'A lot of things weren't right back then,' she said in a throwaway tone, and when she carried on walking Nate fell into step beside her once more. They headed back towards the main roads.

'What do you mean?'

All thoughts of their history had disappeared from his face, replaced instead with what looked like concern for a friend. They were friends again now, right? She turned to him with a shrug.

'It's stupid.'

'I'm sure it's not,' Nate replied with a smile that broke through Jenny easily.

'It's just… I'm sure by now you know that Blair wants me back full time. I'm not sure of the parameters yet, but I do know it means settling down here and I'm not sure it's right. I want to come home for good, but…'

'Why not?' he asked, as if it was ludicrous. His eyes were narrowed in a way that suggested he'd already made up his own mind about it, and Jenny didn't have any doubt that it had to do with – 'Is it because of Baizen?'

Jenny pursed her lips, tilting her head to one side. 'No.'

Nate seemed to relax at that.

'Then what is it?'

Jenny crossed her arms.

'I ran away from this place when I was seventeen and I didn't look back. I missed things about it; my brother, my father, Eric and you,' she said pointedly, and a soft smile touched his lips.

'I didn't want to miss you, but I did. You were one of my only friends. But despite all that I never came back, and for good reason. I wasn't ready for this life then. But things are different now, and I belong and I'm happy. But I never reconciled who I was then with who I am now and, to be honest… I'm not sure where that leaves me.'

Nate touched her arm.

'You did a lot of bad things back then, Jenny, but so did the rest of us. I guess we've just had more time to get passed it. We were stuck here; we didn't get the break that you did.'

Jenny scoffed at him. 'I'd hardly call moving away in disgrace a break, Nate.'

He laughed, running his hand through his hair.

'Alright, perhaps that was the wrong word. What I mean is… the rest of us have been here the whole time, and that meant we had to deal with all the stupid things we did. Maybe moving back is exactly what you need. You're different now.'

He nudged her shoulder affectionately.

'I guess you're right…' she said, though she still wasn't thoroughly convinced.

It was an odd feeling. She wanted to come home, and yet she was afraid to. She'd made her amends with her friends, but she was still worried everything could turn on a dime. She liked to think she knew them, and herself, much better than that. But the Upper East Side had turned Jenny into someone she truly didn't like, and the only other person who seemed to understand her hesitation at coming back was half a world away.

Nate, on the other hand, was standing right in front of her.

Jenny opened her mouth to speak, though she didn't know what to say. She was saved by her phone ringing.

'It's Blair,' she said, upon pulling it from her purse. 'Sorry,' she whispered, but Nate only smiled and stepped back to give her privacy.

'Hey Blair. Everything okay?'

'Perfect, little J. I'm calling about your birthday. Everything's all set.'

Jenny smiled into the receiver. 'I can't wait.'

'Make sure you look your best, little J. it's going to be a night you'll never forget, I'm sure of it.'

The tone clicked off then, and Jenny made her way back over to Nate.

'Just an update about my party,' she said, gesturing for them to continue walking.

'Are you excited?'

Jenny nodded. Then, with renewed enthusiasm, she turned to him.

'Did you get me a present?'

Nate chuckled, and he ran a hand through his hair once more.

'As a matter of fact,' he said. 'I think I have the perfect gift.'

Jenny clapped her hands together. They walked on in comfortable silence for a little while, and then Nate checked his watch.

'I should head back to the office,' Nate said at length. Jenny frowned.

'You said you had a free afternoon.'

'I do,' he said quickly. 'It's just I'm flying over to the LA office tonight for meetings all day Friday, so I just need to make sure I have everything together; folders, presentations, all sorts of boring business stuff that will keep me there for hours.' He finished with a grin, and Jenny sent one back.

'When will you be back?' Jenny asked, and it came out a little more desperately than she'd intended. 'I just mean… will you miss my party?'

'No, no,' he said, resting a settling hand on her arm. 'Wouldn't miss it for the world.'

He kept his hand on her arm as they said their goodbyes, then leaned in to kiss her cheek. The graze of his lips against her skin sent fire through Jenny, and she barely contained a heavy sigh as he pulled back. She turned into him, all on instinct, and if she'd only been a little closer they lips might have just touched…

'I'll see you Saturday, Jenny,' he said, and with that he went in the other direction and back to his office. He hailed a cab.

Jenny watched him go, watched the slope of his shoulders, the straight line of his back, the curve of his a-

Her phone rang once more.

'Blair? Again?' Jenny said, surprised.

'The one and only,' drawled the Lady Bass. Jenny raised a pointed eyebrow. She knew that tone well enough to know a scheme was at hand. And she was right.

'I need a favour, mon ami.'

There it was. Jenny chuckled.

'What can I do for you, boss?'

'It's going to sound a little rash, and forgive me for the suddenness, but it's imperative that everything go well this Saturday. Friends and family aren't the only guests after all.'

Jenny was well aware of that. Everywhere she went, there seemed to be a legion of paparazzi following, eager to get a shot at the up and comer of Waldorf Designs. On top of that, Jenny's transformation from Brooklyn Wannabe to Golden Darling of the Upper East Side had a lot of tongues wagging, even after all those years. Jenny knew what to expect, and she knew that whatever she did or didn't do reflected on Waldorf, and Blair herself.

'I need you to bring Nate as your date to the party,' Blair said.

Jenny scoffed. 'What? Why?'

'All in good time, my little J. I'm asking as a friend and as your boss. As my friend you can turn me down, but as my subordinate, you have to comply.'

Jenny thought on it. Nate wasn't the worst date in the world. He was handsome, had good press, seemed to be in line to run for mayor, and his presence at her birthday was guaranteed anyway. So this was icing on the cake, she supposed. She'd all but agreed in her mind, before a dark little corner of it pulled her thoughts elsewhere, and she was left wondering what Carter might make of it when he inevitably saw it. Although, Jenny realised then, he was the one who hadn't called in a few days.

So why should she be the one to worry about it?

'Jenny?'

'Okay, I'll do it.'

'Wonderful! Now, as I said earlier, everything is ready so I'll see you on the big day for breakfast.'

Jenny grinned. 'Okay, bye Blair.'

'Au revoir.'

Jenny slipped her phone back into her back and turned around. Nate was long gone, on his way back to the office, and it wouldn't be long before he arrived. Jenny walked back the way he had, hailing down a cab of her own, and just hoped she'd be able to catch him. Though he had said he'd be at the office all day, anyway. She smiled as a cab came to a stop for her. Yeah, she was looking forward to Saturday and she was sure it would be a night to remember.

How right she was.

* * *

Nate had expected silence when he returned, and for his office to be empty, for that matter. What he certainly hadn't expected was to find Sage Spence sitting behind his desk, feet up, ordering papers and making files. Nate threw his jacket on to the nearest surface, which happened to be the chair opposite her, and leaned on the back of it as he stared daggers through her. He began to speak, but she cut him off and swung her legs down to the floor. She stood and smoothed her skirt with one hand. She put the papers back on the desk with the other.

'Sage –' he began, but she was already speaking.

'I came in to apologize for the way I behaved the last time we saw each other, and that's when I realized that your assistant isn't here, and hasn't been all day for that matter.'

Nate looked behind him, through the open doorway, and noticed that Katie's usual spot was, in fact, empty. He turned back to Sage.

'In light of that, I made a call to find out where she was – relax, I pretended I was Susan from Marketing,' she said when he made to interrupt. 'Anyway, turns out your lovely assistant went into early labour and had a bouncing baby boy about an hour ago. Nice of you to check in, by the way,' she added as and aside.

Nate rolled his eyes and grabbed for his jacket. Sage rounded on him and stood between him and the door, nudging it closed.

'Look Nate, I know you have no reason to believe me but I am sorry for what happened.'

She peered up at him through her eyelashes, and Nate could feel his resolve faltering. He'd always been a sucker for a gorgeous pair of eyes. But even with Sage here in front of him, his mind was still a little elsewhere, back in the park where he'd left a certain blonde. His heartbeat almost sped again at the thought. Nate kept himself firm in the situation.

'I have a proposal for you,' Sage said.

Nate folded his arms and took a step back.

'I'm guessing you haven't found a replacement assistant just yet, given that you didn't even notice your current one wasn't here –'

'I'm a little distracted today,' he replied.

'No doubt,' Sage said with a knowing look. 'Never mind that. Listen. I want to be your assistant. Not because it's you, or that it's you and me, but because I'm serious about journalism and the Spectator is a phenomenon. I want to learn, and I want to do it here.'

'I don't know…'

'Why don't we use LA as my audition?' she said, brimming with confidence. He raised an eyebrow at her and she chuckled. 'I was bored, so I looked at your calendar. I also put together all the papers you need for the first three meetings of the day when we get there.'

Sage smiled up at him, and Nate had to admit he was impressed. Perhaps it was the good mood that Jenny Humphrey had put him in, or maybe it was more the fact that he didn't have an assistant and he was going to need one. The idea was a good one, and if he didn't like the way she worked then they could go their separate ways and he would just have to manage until he found someone else. Sage's smile brightened and he shrugged.

'Alright, fine,' he decided, and then made for his jacket. 'Let's go.'

Sage frowned. 'Where?'

'The hospital. I want to check in on Katie; it's the least I can do. We'll stop to get a gift on the way. Boy, right?'

Sage nodded. 'Why am I coming?'

Nate ushered her out of the door and closed it behind him. He scoffed.

'I don't want you going through my stuff again, at least not when I'm not around.'

Sage laughed as they left the building. Nate hailed down a cab, and he touched the small of Sage's back as he pulled the door open for her to get in first. She turned to him and smiled, and he did the same as he slipped in after her.

It was a perfectly innocent display to anyone who took the time to look, except one tall blonde who was across the street, having just stepped out of her own cab. Nate didn't spot her, but she clocked him. Jenny narrowed her eyes.

_So much for an afternoon at the office, huh?_

* * *

Hope you liked it enough to forgive me for the long wait! x


	7. The Return

**A/N**: I know this took absolutely ages, and I'm really sorry! Life is so, so busy and I can barely find time to write anything. It's frustrating when I have so many other ships that I want to write for too, haha! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a little on the short side, but things get lit! x

* * *

**The Return**

On the morning of her twenty-fourth birthday, Jenny woke up with a feeling of approaching dread. She was half attributing it to the night before, wherein she'd consumed numerous cocktails with Eric. She didn't drink very much in London – she and Carter spent most weeknights ordering take out and watching movies. The older she got, the less she seemed to enjoy clubbing. Although people would never tell now, given the way she and Eric had got on the night before.

Eric had promised just one or two, which quickly became three or four, and somehow Jenny was to make it seven or eight. It had been a fun night, and Eric had met a nice guy in the middle of the dance floor. They'd crawled home somewhere between one and two, and despite not having been back in New York very long, Jenny had found that she had become well-known as the brains behind some of the best lines Waldorf Designs had produced in a few years. With that territory came photographers, camped outside Dan and Serena's building, waiting for Jenny as she and Eric arrived around the corner.

'_Miss Humphrey!'_

'_Jenny!'_

_Jenny rolled her eyes at Eric as they pressed on through the mob. The doorman wasn't too far out of reach, and once inside they'd be able to laugh about it. Someone pulled on Jenny's arm. She held tighter to Eric. _

'_Jenny, how long have you and…'_

'_How does it feel to have won the heart of…'_

'_Can we expect an engagement?'_

_Many voices all pooled into one, but Jenny heard them all. Even in her less than stellar state, she knew something was off about the questions. As far as anyone knew, Jenny didn't have a boyfriend. Jenny didn't even have an inkling. She had…she had Carter, back in London and just a friend with some seriously good benefits. But that was it. So who on earth would she be getting engaged to? _

'_So, how long have you and Nate Archibald been an item?'_

_Jenny stopped in her tracks, just as Eric did the same, and they turned to look at one another._

'_What?' Eric mouthed, but Jenny only shrugged. _

Jenny's eyes snapped into focus, and she sat up. On the bed around her were numerous gifts, all gift-wrapped to perfection with cards attached. There was breakfast on the bedside table, and sitting in the armchair across the room was Eric. He smiled sleepily at her, throwing up a two finger salute as Jenny's phone rang loudly from over by the window. Clumsily, Jenny pushed the duvet back, knocking some gifts onto the floor, and moved to answer her cell.

'Joyeux anniversaire, mon ami.'

The sing-song tones of Blair Waldorf-Bass could mean only one thing, Jenny decided.

'You told the press Nate and I are dating, didn't you?' Jenny said, pinching the bridge of her nose. Jenny heard Eric sigh loudly on the other side of the room. Jenny wasn't even annoyed. Just dismayed.

'I did no such thing. Chuck and I were out for dinner last night and if someone happened to overhear us discussing how well suited we think you and Nate are, then that isn't our fault. If that same someone decided to leak that to the press, and it snowballed from there, then that isn't our fault either.' Jenny padded over to pick up the fallen gifts from the floor.

'You could do a lot worse than Nate Archibald, little J.'

'Nate's dating his assistant, Blair.' Jenny heard the intake of breath on the other end of the line. 'I saw them getting into a car.'

'That doesn't mean a thing,' Blair said off-handedly.

'He lied about where he was spending the afternoon, and then I saw them together. They looked pretty cosy.'

Jenny wasn't sure why the notion of him looking cosy upset her so much, or why she was feeling more like she was complaining_ to _a friend about a guy she liked, rather than complaining _about_ her friend who was spreading false stories about her love life.

'Either way, Nate and I aren't dating. I'd appreciate it if you kept lies like that to yourself. That goes for that husband of yours, too.'

'That husband of mine is an innocent party in all of this, as am I. Perhaps it's the universe's way of telling you to get a move in with our lovely Archibald.'

'You're deluded,' Jenny said simply.

'You're being ridiculous.'

'I'll see you at breakfast,' Jenny huffed. 'Love you, B.'

'Love you too, J.'

The tone clicked off and Jenny dropped her cell onto the bed.

'You know,' Eric began, pushing off from the chair and grabbing at the presents on the bed. 'For someone who doesn't care to be associated with Nate Archibald, you sure do seem bothered that he's screwing his assistant.'

'I don't care,' Jenny mumbled. She picked up her phone again and frowned at the screen.

'What's up?'

Jenny shook her head. 'I've got three missed calls from Carter.'

'I thought he hadn't been in touch.'

'Me too.'

The door swung open then, and Serena burst into the room with a beaming smile on her face.

'I heard you guys talking and I wanted to wish you a happy birthday!' She engulfed Jenny in a tight hug. She spied the breakfast on the bedside table. 'I hope you're not too full up – we're meeting Blair in an hour.'

'I haven't had a bite,' Jenny confirmed, wandering over the closet and picking out a pale blue dress for breakfast. Normally Jenny preferred the company of greys and blacks, and generally darker hues. Blair had managed to convince Jenny to branch out in her colours, however, and Jenny had to admit the dress really was pretty.

'That's gorgeous, Jenny,' Serena said in between stuffing a waffle into her mouth. Eric looked at his sister through furrowed brows as she made a second go round for the food he'd made for Jenny.

Jenny chuckled at the display, then pulled out a pair of royal blue Jimmy Choos to go with the dress.

'Speaking of breakfast,' Eric chimed in. 'I take it you've heard from Blair?'

Serena nodded, looking to Jenny. 'I have. Sorry about all that.'

Jenny shrugged. 'She'll get over the idea of Nate and I eventually.' She turned back to them as she headed for the bathroom to change. 'I did.'

She said it with a smile, of course, and it was true. She was over Nate, and had been for a long time now. Besides, he was dating Sage, and Jenny had whatever she had with Carter. He'd tried to get in touch after all. Maybe that meant something… Perish the thought, Jenny thought to herself. He was probably just missing a warm body beside him through the night. Jenny knew how much he hated to sleep alone.

* * *

The whole place looked incredible.

Jenny could scarcely believe that she hadn't walked into some grand ballroom in a far away land; all that was missing was a dashing prince, a king and queen, and ball gowns that went on for days and days.

'Jenny!'

Speaking of kings and queens, Jenny thought, as she found Blair and Chuck making their way over to her with wide smiles. Jenny returned them and took Blair into her arms in a tight embrace. She could feel the thrumming of Blair's excitement already, and even when Blair pulled back to admire her own handiwork, Jenny could feel the pride coming off her friend. Chuck leant in to dot a kiss to Jenny's cheek.

'Happy birthday,' he told her, and Jenny squeezed his forearm in thanks.

'What do you think?' Blair asked, grabbing Jenny's hand and twirling her around to take it all in.

Jenny wasn't sure what to talk about first. The streams of colour; golds, whites and lilacs. High-flying chandeliers brought a tone of such grandeur that Jenny didn't feel quite worthy to be standing in their presence. Entrees of finger food were going around, champagne and cocktails were flowing, and a live band solidified the mood, coupled with the low lighting, as being a romantic, classic evening. Honestly, Jenny was crazy about it all.

'I love it,' Jenny said quietly, and Blair clapped her hands.

'Wonderful, I'm so glad. Now go and mix with your guests – there's a table of gifts in the back right corner, too, so don't be afraid to open them either. I'll see you later on. Enjoy yourself.'

Blair squeezed both Jenny's hands in her own before taking her leave with her husband. Jenny stood for a moment, taking it all in again, before deciding to take a turn about the room. She noticed through the glass doors, from where she could see the entrance to the building, that there were some photographers hankering to get some shots. She wondered if they were waiting for Nate to show up; in fact, they were probably wondering why she and Nate hadn't shown up together. After all, they were 'dating' as far as the rest of Manhattan knew.

Jenny swallowed. He was probably still wrapped up in Sage Spence.

Jenny forced the idea from her mind. She only cared that Nate had lied to her. Not why he'd lied. Not at all.

'Jenny!'

Dan and Serena found her next. Hand in hand, with Dan's tie matching Serena's dress, they were the image of perfection. Jenny eyed Serena's left hand quietly; still no ring. She raised her eyebrows at Dan, who averted his eyes and suddenly found the ceiling to be very interesting.

'You look beautiful,' Serena told her, kissing her cheek.

Jenny wore a floor length lilac dress. It had gems and beads woven into the fabric and dropped shoulders with a high neck. When Jenny had seen it, and taken in the vintage look and feel, she knew she had to have it. Normally she'd wear something of her own design, but tonight was special, and she felt special, and she wanted to look beautiful. Happily, she'd managed to achieve it.

'Another year older,' Dan reminded her. 'How do you feel?'

Jenny took a moment to decide. She felt good. Sure, there were things she needed to figure out, but there always would be. For now, though, things were good. She was good.

'Accomplished,' she answered at length.

Serena looked around.

'Is Nate coming?'

Jenny hooked an eyebrow at her future sister-in-law, pursing her lips. Serena shrugged lightly, a knowing look dawning on her face.

'We'll see,' Jenny replied, trying not to sound too concerned about it all. 'Is Eric here?'

'Not yet; he said he'd be arriving late and that he's sorry – said he has to pick something up last minute.'

* * *

Jenny spent much of the evening moving between her guests and thanking them for coming. She'd found her father and Lisa halfway through the party, standing vigil near the gifts table in the hopes of catching Jenny for five minutes. Her birthday gift from them both had been a cheque, which she was incredibly grateful for; the older she became, the less she seemed to know what she wanted as a gift.

'I'm so proud of the woman you've become, Jenny,' Rufus told her.

Jenny opened her mouth to respond just as glasses chinked together from somewhere behind her. She turned to follow the sound and found her guests had gathered into a small crowd in the centre of the room. Jenny couldn't quite hear what was being said from where she stood, so she, Lisa and Rufus made their way over and edged through the crowd to get a better look.

What they found was Dan, down on one knee, and Serena, her hands over her mouth and tears in her eyes.

'I love you, Serena. I always have and I always will.' Dan's voice caught as he spoke, and he looked to be holding back tears of his own. 'I want you forever. Will you marry me?'

Serena squealed under her hands, before launching herself into Dan's arms and chanting 'yes' over and over again. They broke their hug just long enough to kiss as the crowd around them applauded. Jenny felt tears welling in her eyes as she watched them; so in love, so happy. Suddenly she felt a longing somewhere inside, to have what they had. She found her gaze travelling inexplicably around the room.

Just as Dan slipped the ring on Serena's finger, Jenny's gaze settled on Nate, freshly arrived and with a smile on his face only for her.

He started towards her then, a small gift box in his hand. Jenny felt equal parts happy and frustrated. How could he smile so sweetly to her face, having lied to it just days earlier? And why did he always have to look so ridiculously handsome when he did?

'Happy birthday,' he said when he reached her.

Jenny wanted to ask him why he'd lied. She wanted to know why he felt the need to hide Sage Spence from her. They were friends, after all, and didn't friends tell each other things? Since when had she and Nate become people who hid things from one another? That might have been true five and forever years ago, when they were caught up in the web of high school and college and scheming to make themselves happy. But they were both happy now, surely, and they could be happy for one another.

'Look, Jenny, there's something I've been meaning to ask you something… about you and me – '

'Well, I suppose now is as good a time as any.'

The interrupting voice belonged to one Blair Waldorf Bass, who took Jenny's hand and guided her into the centre of the room. When they stopped, Blair raised her glass of champagne, and the rest of the guests followed. Jenny looked over her shoulder to Nate, who rolled his eyes subtly and smiled.

'We are here to celebrate the birthday of not only one of Waldorf Designs' most talented employees, but one of my very dearest friends. I'd like you all to raise a glass to Jenny Humphrey, who inspires us all with her creativity and passion.'

People cheered to Jenny's name, and Jenny, blushing, thought that to be the end of it. But Blair held tight to her hand. The guests fell silent once more.

'Tonight is a special night for more than one reason,' Blair made a not to Dan and Serena, still elated. Serena gave a watery smile back.

'I'd like to add one more,' Blair went on. She turned to Jenny then.

'I'm so grateful for everything you've done for my family, my friends and my company these past few years. Bringing you on board at Waldorf was one of the best decisions I've ever made, and it's for that reason that I'd like to offer you a new position…'

Jenny felt her heart skip. She squeezed Blair's hand.

'As President of Creative.'

The guests around them erupted into applause once more. Jenny felt that she was struggling to breathe just then. What an honour, she knew, to be offered this job. Jenny knew she could do it; she knew she would thrive, and that Waldorf would only go up. But something, niggling in the back of her mind, made her reluctant to jump on the opportunity.

The job was in Manhattan. The job meant staying. It meant leaving London. It meant leaving -

Just then, whispers broke out amongst the partygoers all around them. Both Blair and Jenny looked round to the entrance.

Jenny's heart felt like it was about to beat out of her chest.

He stood in a grey suit with a lilac pocket handkerchief, because of course he would wind up matching her. With one hand in his trouser pocket and the other holding tight to a small box, he grinned as soon as he set eyes on Jenny.

'Carter,' she breathed.

'What the hell is he doing here?' Nate asked of no one in particular, his tone dark. But Jenny barely heard him as her feet carried her forward.

Carter started towards her too, and Jenny forgot the rest of the world as he came closer. Groups of people parted to make way for him; he was in no mood to stop as he came towards her. Passing the fuming stares of Chuck and Blair, and the confused stares of Dan and Serena, Carter proceeded to where Jenny and Nate stood. He went unfazed by the numerous glares being sent his way, and his smile was reserved only for Jenny.

'Hey beautiful,' he said, when he was close enough that she'd hear.

With that, Carter handed the gift box to Blair without looking twice, then took Jenny in both arms and kissed her with everything he had.

* * *

**Boom, out.**


	8. Polaroid

**A/N: **Hey guys! This update is coming a lot sooner than I expected, but that's good, right? Anyways, I hope you like what I've cooked up for you. I feel like the story is starting to really get moving now. Emotions are starting to take flight, I think.

Onward!

* * *

**Polaroid**

Kissing Carter was like… the first day of summer. Something you wait for all year. Something you cherish when it comes. Something you look back on fondly when time has passed and –

Carter pulled on her bottom lip gently as he broke the kiss, then pressed his forehead against hers. He tasted faintly of strawberries and cream, and for a moment Jenny wondered if he'd stolen her lip gloss once again, like he had on their third 'date'.

Carter stepped back, but only far enough that he could take her hand in his and press a kiss to the back of it. Jenny felt as though her smile was touching her ears and her cheeks, certainly flushed from the kiss if not the fact that there were hundreds of blank faces watching them, felt on fire after his touch. He grinned at her, and Jenny opened her mouth to say something – anything, really. But the words didn't come at once, and Blair beat her to the first word.

'What a surprise,' she said sternly, though not unfriendly to those unfamiliar with her, coming around to Jenny's side and turning to face a photographer that had pushed their way through the door. He was a photographer from the Post, as it turned out, and it seemed Blair had thought fast on her feet and ushered both herself and her husband into a smiling photograph. Manhattan would wake up to see Mr. and Mrs. Bass welcoming their old school friend back to their city with open arms.

Jenny drew her lips into a thin line as she looked between Carter, who was so at ease in front of the camera it was as though he'd never left the Upper East Side, and Blair, whose teeth Jenny could almost hear grinding together beneath her beautiful smile. Chuck looked as Carter did, completely calm despite events that Jenny knew would leave him feeling very much the opposite. The photographer lowered his lens and began digging for a notepad for a quick quote, it appeared. Blair didn't object; in fact, she looked perfectly fine with it. Unusual, Jenny thought, frowning for just a moment, before Carter's arm slipped around her waist and took her attention away.

'Miss Humphrey,' the photographer began. Jenny looked quickly over her shoulder. She saw Dan and Serena talking quietly; Serena had a black envelope in her hands. Rufus and Lisa weren't too far away either. Nate was nowhere in sight, she noticed last. Carter squeezed her hip gently. Jenny turned into him.

'Miss Humphrey, where does your relationship with Mr. Baizen leave your relationship with Nathaniel Archibald?'

She felt Carter freeze beside her. Jenny's mouth curved into an O. Chuck clapped Carter on the shoulder then and moved off, taking his wife's hand as they moved away. Blair threw Carter a devilish grin over her shoulder that Jenny herself read as: prepare yourself. Jenny ground her teeth together.

'Mr. Archibald is here tonight, isn't he?' the photographer prodded.

Carter's hand felt heavy on Jenny's hip when he cleared his throat and stepped into the man holding the notepad.

'Look man, we're not interested in giving a quote. It's the lady's birthday. Why don't you run on home?'

He didn't.

'Is one or the other relationship an affair, Miss Humphrey?'

'Alright,' Carter's arm slipped from Jenny's waist and he moved closer to the man. He spoke in hushed tones, but Jenny was still reeling from his first question. Nate had disappeared. Where did this leave their relationship? If anyone hated Carter, it was Nate, and if anyone loved Jenny, then it was –

'Thanks.'

Carter clapped the photographer on his shoulder and he finally moved off, disappearing through the front doors as numerous other journalists attempted to get a shot through the glass. Some heavy curtains were pulled then, Jenny suspected at Chuck's design, and the camera flashes were shadowed out of sight. Carter returned to Jenny's side. She took a deep breath and looked up into his face. She smiled.

'You and Archibald?'

Her smile fell, and he failed to offer one in return either. Jenny swallowed.

'It's nothing. A silly story someone fed to the press because they were bored.'

Carter didn't look completely convinced.

'Nate's dating his assistant, Sage.' Jenny continued. She wasn't sure whom she was trying to convince with her story, not really. 'They're very happy. Nate and I are just friends.'

Carter nodded. Slowly, a smile spread back onto his face.

'It's really good to see you,' Jenny confessed.

Whatever concern had been on his mind before that was gone in a moment, and Carter moved in again. The kiss this time was gentler, just a peck, and while it only lasted mere seconds, it was enough to calm Jenny right down. She found her centre again. Any thoughts of Nate disappearing on her were dulled.

'You're shaking,' Carter said, taking both her hands in his.

'I'm just surprised to see you.'

'Well I couldn't no-show my girl's birthday, could I?' he touched the side of her face, then kissed her temple. As he slipped his arm around her shoulders and they began walking, Jenny turned to look at him.

'Oh, I'm your girl?'

He smirked. 'What, you don't wanna be?'

Jenny didn't know what to say. She liked Carter. She liked being with him, liked how he made her feel and liked what they had in London. Now he was here, his arm around and walking with her like they were boyfriend and girlfriend and somehow, even though she knew it should feel perfectly right… it didn't.

Something felt… off.

'Jenny.'

Dan and Serena stepped into their path, wearing matching uncertain smiles as they regarded both Jenny and the man on her arm. Carter held his hand out to Dan, who watched it for a moment as though it may bite, but then shook it after a prompt squeeze on the forearm from Serena. She smiled tightly at Carter too.

'Serena,' Carter chimed. He took her hand next, gently pressing it against his own. 'Congratulations both,' he remarked, noticing her engagement ring just then. 'When's the wedding?'

Jenny raised her eyebrows at Serena, who promptly avoided her future sister-in-law's gaze and shrugged as she pulled her hand back to her side.

'We only just got engaged man,' said Dan, resting his hand on Serena's far hip. 'Give us time.'

Carter smiled easily. 'Sorry, I was a little late. Invitation must have been lost in the mail.'

He winked at Jenny, who rolled her eyes at him but couldn't help but allow a smirk to touch her lips.

'So are you two –' Dan began.

'Together,' Carter informed him.

This appeared to prompt Serena suddenly, and she held out the black envelope that Jenny had noticed earlier on. Jenny took it, turning it over in her hands, and noticed the familiar handwriting in which her name had been scribed. She looked up at Serena, biting her lip.

'Where'd he go?' she asked quietly.

Serena only offered a look of uncertainty.

'He said he wanted to give that you himself,' Dan said, scratching the back of his neck. 'But that something came up at the office.'

Jenny narrowed her eyes at her brother. He always had been a terrible liar. Nevertheless, Jenny turned her eyes down to the envelope Nate had left for her. The way he'd etched her name in some gold pen so nicely on the back made her half-anxious to open it. She had no idea what kind of card to expect from him; a plain old 'happy birthday', a nice looking 'to a dear friend', or perhaps a hopeful 'someone special' instead. Carter fell into conversation with Serena about the evening so far, and as she told him about the proposal, Dan's eyes fell on Jenny while she opened the envelope.

There was no card inside.

There was a Polaroid candid.

Bright and wild dresses looked back at her from the picture, and Jenny's short blonde hair from all those years ago was unmistakable beneath the moniker of her short-lived design firm, started when she'd left Eleanor Waldorf designs and set out on her own.

Her guerilla fashion show.

She remembered it fondly, like it was only yesterday.

She remembered the way the lights had gone down and the music had kicked in, how the crowd had parted to make way for the models wearing her dresses, how they'd cheered and applauded her work and all the effort she put in. How happy she'd been.

How she'd found Nate in amongst it all smiling back at her.

How he made her heart soar.

How she'd kissed him with everything she and he'd kissed her back.

How she'd been so sure, all those years ago, that Nate Archibald was the boy she was going to end up with.

'You okay?' Dan asked her quietly, pulling her off to the side of the room.

Jenny blinked away the beginnings of tears.

'I'm good.' She swallowed. 'I'm fine.'

He didn't look convinced. Truthfully neither was she.

* * *

Nate had been dodging most of his calls for a couple of days. A new issue of the Spectator was due at the end of the week, and there was a series going up online in just a few hours. He had a lot to get on with; he didn't have time to deal with any personal dilemmas. He definitely didn't have time for any schemes Blair Waldorf Bass appeared to be cooking up on his behalf either. So when Sage buzzed through to let him know an old friend was waiting to see him, Nate had told her to give the message that he was in a meeting.

But Nate should have known that none of his friends would take that for an answer, and certainly not her. Blair didn't wait.

She sailed through the double doors to his office with grace, and when they closed behind her she set her purse down on the chair opposite his desk. Instead of taking a seat in the other one, she remained on her feet, hands entwined in front of her, a darling smile on her lips. Nate pursed his own.

'How can I help you?'

'It's more about how I can help you.'

Nate already didn't like where this was going.

'I really don't know what you're talking about.'

Blair retrieved a newspaper from her purse and set it down in front of him. Nate looked reluctantly over it; he'd seen it all before. Jenny and Baizen smiling at each other on the front page, under a headline that read about how happy they were and how they couldn't keep from gushing over one another. Nate looked up at Blair through hooded eyes. He was fed up of seeing Baizen's damn face everywhere already; he didn't need Blair showing it to him all over again.

Blair watched him through calculating eyes.

'I don't care.'

Nate pushed the paper aside and went back to the piece he was proofreading before he'd been rudely interrupted. Blair didn't seem perturbed by this one bit. She folded the newspaper neatly and put it back into her purse. Nate continued to ignore her, even when she tapped her heel on the hardwood floor, and more still when she cleared her throat.

Finally, Nate threw his pen down and looked up.

'Whoever Jenny wants to run around town with is none of my business. I don't care, even if it is Baizen.' Blair raised an eyebrow. Nate growled. 'I don't!'

She smirked.

'Clearly.'

Nate grit his teeth. His patience was wearing thin already. Aside from being up to his eyes in deadlines for the paper, journalists were on his tail for interviews and asking if the rumours that he had an interest in mayoral duties were true. Blair was still smirking.

'What do you want, Blair?'

'To help you.'

'And?'

'To help myself.'

Nate nodded emphatically. 'There it is.'

Blair finally took a seat opposite him.

'Jenny has yet to accept the position I offered her in my company.'

Nate shrugged. He assumed Jenny was too busy cavorting about with her boyfriend to give Blair an answer. _Young love_, Nate thought. How the idea bit at him.

'You've always been someone Jenny feels comfortable with. I want you to convince her to say yes.'

Nate scoffed.

'What makes you think she'll listen to me?'

He couldn't deny that he wanted Jenny to stick around. He just didn't want Baizen to stick with her. Nate turned his gaze back to Blair. Her eyes had taken on a softness that he saw rarely in his friend. She always kept herself steeled in public, though he supposed she was in the safety of his office now, and she was in the safest company too.

'She'll listen to you because it's you, Nate,' said Blair, and he wasn't quite prepared for what was coming next.

'And because whatever she's feeling right now for Carter? It will never be what she's always felt for you.'

* * *

They were finally back at the diner she'd taken him for his birthday, Jenny remembered as she took the seat opposite Nate in the window. Fresh from greeting her with a grin, Nate was looking down at the menu in front of him. Jenny thought they might chat a little before getting right down to food, but she was hungry too, so she couldn't blame him. She just expected a little… more from him.

Jenny retrieved the black envelope from her purse and set it down on the table between them. Nate's eyes shifted from the menu to the envelope, where his gaze remained focused until Jenny took the envelope back in her hands and he finally looked her in the eye.

'Thank you for the gift,' she said in a voice that felt so alien to her. So soft and fragile, sounding like she it had when he'd kissed for the first time in a week all that time ago and she could scarcely believe it.

Nate was staring at her, apparently deep in thought. Jenny guessed they were both back to thinking about that night.

'I found the picture a couple of years ago when Chuck and I were clearing out the Empire suite before I moved out.'

Jenny raised her eyebrows.

'You kept it all this time?'

Nate nodded.

'I never wanted to forget that night.'

Jenny felt her breath hook in her throat.

'Why?'

Nate shifted slightly, leaning a little closer.

'You know why.'

Jenny didn't know what to say. She knew what she wanted to say, but what she ought to say was something very different. Mercifully, the waitress arrived to take their order and by the time Nate had ordered a pair of Americano's, Jenny had managed to gather her thoughts and set them right. She put the Polaroid back into her purse.

'Carter and I are together,' she admitted.

Briefly, Nate's jaw clenched. If she didn't know him so well, Jenny wouldn't think anything was off. But she did know him, and she knew perfectly well that he wasn't happy with the news. She knew he hated Carter and that was why he wouldn't approve, but honestly she just hoped he'd be big enough to put it behind him for her sake. She didn't want to have to keep her boyfriend in a separate room to her friends.

Boyfriend.

Jenny tasted the word on her tongue. It was the first time she'd acknowledged him as that. It was different to them being 'together'. It was an official title. Boyfriend and girlfriend. Jenny swallowed. Nate was watching her once more.

'I know,' he said then.

Jenny bit her lip. The waitress arrived with their coffee soon after, and following a few tense sips of their drinks, both Jenny and Nate seemed to relax somewhat.

'Blair told me that you haven't accepted the position at Waldorf yet.'

Jenny shrugged, and Nate looked quizzically at her, prompting her to continue. She smiled.

'I'm really grateful. I want to say yes.'

Nate frowned.

'Is he telling you not to?'

'Nate!' she admonished him in a hiss, gently rapping his arm. 'Carter is not who he was in high school.'

'People don't change that easily.'

Jenny sighed, shaking her head. 'It's like déjà vu. I'm not having this conversation again, alright? Carter and I are _together_.'

'Great,' Nate bit back as her own tone changed somewhere in the exchange.

'I'm happy with him.'

'Fantastic.'

She wasn't sure why she felt the need to tell him so many times that she was Carter's girl. Maybe she wanted him to do something about it. Maybe she just wanted him to get it through his thick head.

'And the reason I haven't said yes to Blair yet is that I'm thinking long and hard about it. Moving back is a big commitment, and I don't know if I trust myself not to become someone I don't like if I come back here.'

Jenny could hear her own heartbeat in her ears. That was the first time she'd said it aloud. She wasn't afraid of the company, of Blair, of facing the world with Carter on her arm, or of how her relationship with Nate seemed to be on such shaky ground. She was afraid of herself, and the person she used to be. Nate was quiet for a long moment, and Jenny knew precisely why. She sniffed, grabbing her bag. When she stood up, he stood with her.

'Jenny –'

'People don't change that easily,' she echoed bitterly, tilting her head. 'Right?'

With that, she breezed passed him and didn't bother to look back. Only when he caught her arm as she hailed a cab did she force herself to look at him. She just didn't understand any of it. She didn't understand why she and Nate were so… broken. They were friends, and had been for years, and somewhere in between they'd been so much more than that but now they'd moved on. Surely they both had. Yet here they were, with emotions still running high. He still got under her skin in all the ways she wished he didn't. Even his fingers on her wrist felt like the sun on her skin on a miserable day.

'I'm sorry,' he said then, surprising her. 'I just want you to be happy, so if you tell me you are then I'll believe you. I just don't want you to miss an opportunity that you've worked for your whole life.'

Jenny grit her teeth to keep him from noticing her shivering. It wasn't a cold day; he'd know right away that wasn't why she couldn't seem to keep still.

'And that person that you don't want to be? That wasn't really you.' He released her wrist at last, and Jenny felt oddly cold without his touch.

'You know that,' he went on. 'I know that. The real you, the you that you are now, is sweet and kind and…' he appeared to think better of what he may have been gearing up to say. 'And you're a good friend. You deserve this job, Jenny.'

A cab pulled up before her.

'He's waiting for me,' she said. 'I should go.'

Nate opened the door for her. He crouched on the sidewalk as she sat in the backseat.

'For what it's worth, I think you'd make a great President.'

Jenny laughed.

'Only if it means you'll be my mayor.'

Nate grinned. 'Heard about that, huh?'

'News travels fast around here.'

He nodded.

'I'll see you later.'

With that, he closed the door on her. Jenny took a deep breath, then leaned forward to the driver. After giving the address for Carter's hotel, Jenny sat back in her seat, taking a deep breath. For now, she put all thoughts of Nate out of her mind. She needed to concentrate on herself, and on Carter.

And on the fact that he'd asked her to help him look for a place in the city.

He was staying, and so was she.

That was good.

Right?

* * *

_Outers x_


	9. Forbidden Fruit

**A/N: **Chapter nine is here! A lot quicker than expected, but I had some time today and decided I want to get this story moving. By the end of the chapter, hopefully you'll see why... Enjoy! Things are getting lit.

* * *

**Forbidden Fruit**

'Do you believe in fate?'

Jenny eyed Carter over the forkful of waffle she was about to demolish. He wasn't looking back, merely perusing the morning paper as he sipped quietly from his coffee cup. Something must have caught his eye, Jenny decided, to prompt that kind of question. Carter wasn't normally one to indulge in such fantasies as that; he was very much down to earth, real, and had been since the day they'd started sleeping together. Something was up.

'That's not the kind of question I'd expect to come out of your mouth,' Jenny remarked, before chomping down her waffle. She finished off the strawberries on her plate as she waited for Carter's response, but he only smiled as he passed the paper to her over the table. Jenny narrowed her eyes briefly as he continued to grin. Her gaze then fell to the paper and she read aloud:

'J for Waldorf: How Jennifer Humphrey Scored _THE_ Job and _THAT_ Guy.'

Carter snorted into his coffee. Jenny pinned him with a stare that shut him up quickly, although the glint in his eye remained and it wasn't long before Jenny gave in and giggled about it herself.

'So you're _the_ guy, huh?'

Carter nodded. 'I particularly enjoy the part where I'm labeled 'easily one of the best looking men in Manhattan'.'

'I'm just looking for the part where they mention your overwhelming modesty…' Jenny mocked, running her finger down the fine print of the paper. Carter laughed, and then shifted his chair closer so that he could point out something specific to her at the bottom of the article. Jenny frowned when she saw the line that had prompted his earlier question.

Jenny read aloud once more.

'It seems everything has fallen into place for the infamous Miss Humphrey, who continues to climb the career pole and appears to have found her Prince Charming. We're not one to believe in fate, but come on. She landed her man in London, England, and he followed her back across the pond. Disgraced son of an empire turned Frog Prince? That's a modern-day fairytale we can get on board with.'

Jenny looked up at Carter.

'Seriously? Who writes this crap?'

Carter put his hand across his heart. 'I'm hurt.'

'You are not,' Jenny chided him, batting his arm as she made to stand up.

Carter reached out and caught her hand, pulling her into his lap. Jenny breathed in the smell of him, all ready to head out to the first of four meetings today. He wore a midnight blue suit, though the jacket had yet to be put on. Jenny played with his collar, peeking at his chest beneath the fabric and undoing just a couple more buttons…

'You're going to need to take your hands off me if you want me to get to work on time,' Carter said, his voice low as he gripped her hard against him.

Jenny ghosted her lips over his, teasing him, dropping her own voice to a whisper.

'You're the one who seems to be getting excited…' Jenny replied, her eyes dropping to where she sat in his lap. She could feel him against the underside of her thigh. Jenny was taken back to the previous evening, when they'd arrived back to the hotel rather late after having been apartment hunting all day. Both exhausted, they'd collapsed on the bed. Carter's hands had begun roaming her legs, moving higher along her thighs and pushing her skirt up to her waist… He knew just the right place…

Nobody knew her like Carter.

He was just pressing a kiss to her jaw when their phones began vibrating on the table in the hall. Jenny groaned, and with a little push from Carter, she regretfully stood up and padded over to grab them both. Jenny saw Serena's name flash up on hers, calling to check in no doubt. Carter had received two text messages in succession, and despite trying her best, Jenny couldn't help but take a peek as she swiped the phone up with the intention of taking it back to him.

**Raina, 9:34.**

_Everything is set for tonight. I can't wait to show you what I've got for you._

Jenny frowned at the screen, then read the second, more recent, text.

**Raina, 9:35.**

_It's going to blow your mind. We just need to keep it to ourselves for a little longer. News goes out in an hour. _

Jenny fumbled and dropped Carter's phone as he came up behind her. It landed face down on the carper. As he bent to pick it up, Jenny plastered a smile on her lips and shifted her weight onto one foot. Carter frowned at the screen as he came back up, as though he himself wasn't sure who Raina was, either. Jenny decided now wasn't the time. They never said they were exclusive. Sure, they'd left things uncertain in London, and he'd _only_ followed her back to New York, and _only_ claimed they were together when quizzed by Dan at Jenny's birthday party.

They never said they were exclusive.

Even though Jenny was essentially living with him at the Plaza now.

'I'd better get going,' Carter said. He pulled Jenny in by the waist and pressed a kiss to her lips. It was longer than a peck, and Jenny could taste the coffee on his tongue. She softened against him; she couldn't help it.

As they broke apart, Carter held up his cell for her to see.

'This,' he gestured to the messages on the screen. 'Is nothing you need to worry about. But you'll see exactly what's going on later tonight. I promise. I'll text you the details. Make sure you're free.'

It was several things to process at once, but Carter left her with a second kiss – this time on her temple – before he proceeded to grab his jacket and head out to the elevator. The car was waiting downstairs for him, according to his assistant. Jenny thought on his words as Serena's name lit up her cell screen once more. So Carter had a surprise for her. That was exciting. Whatever it may be, Jenny thought, at least he hadn't made some kind of ridiculous excuse. She could trust Carter. Of course she could.

'Hey sister,' Jenny said as she answered the call. Serena giggled on the other hand.

'I can still barely believe it,' she said. Jenny could hear the smile in her voice.

'So what's up?'

'Not much, but Carter left me a message last night asking me to keep you busy for the day. He said he doesn't care if you know there's a surprise, he just doesn't want you to find out what it is until the moment is right.'

Jenny scoffed. 'What on earth is he planning?'

'I have no idea. I just know there's a dress code.'

Jenny went over ideas in her mind after she said goodbye to Serena, with a promise to head over so they could spend the day shopping for the right outfit. Perhaps he'd found an apartment and was going to have a house warming? Maybe he was going to ask her to live with him.

Maybe it was something more serious again… Jenny didn't know what to make of that idea. She liked Carter – so much – but she wasn't sure she was ready for that kind of commitment. She knew she'd decided to take the job at Waldorf, and Blair had been thrilled when she'd found out. Did Carter think their deciding to stay meant they'd decided to stay – officially - together? They were dating steadily, and Jenny spent most nights at the Plaza with him. That was mainly because she didn't want to intrude on Dan and Serena for too long, and she had yet to find a place of her own.

Jenny stopped herself there.

Whatever Carter was planning, it was going to be small. There was no way he'd be thinking long term – he was Carter Baizen. He didn't do long term, not really. Even though they were together, Jenny never really thought about the idea of _long term_ with him. She assumed they'd run their course.

She was happy as they were.

And if – as surprising as it would be – he decided he wanted to take it further, Jenny wasn't sure she'd be able to. If for no other reason, it was because there was something holding her back. Or rather… someone.

* * *

Disgruntled at the headline before him, Nate dropped his morning paper back onto the kitchen counter. He held a glass of orange juice in one hand, having just returned from his morning run around the Park. He toyed with the headline in his mind once more; Jenny Humphrey having found her Prince Charming. Nate felt ill at the very thought. Baizen was neither a prince, nor was he charming. He was a skeeze, and Nate just didn't want Jenny to have to find out the hard way. She seemed happy when they'd met in the diner a few days earlier, though things had taken a turn when she'd revealed that she'd received the birthday gift he'd left for her…

Nate remembered that evening as though it was yesterday. How exciting it had all been, how stunning Jenny had looked and how right it had felt when she threw herself into his arms and they'd kissed as though no one was watching. Like they hadn't a care in the world at all.

That night, perhaps more truly than any other time, they had _fit_. Sure there had been moments before and moments since that night, when there had been something between them. But there was always something in the way. Each and every time something sparked within Nate about Jenny, there was something in the way. First she'd been too young – a fourteen year-old with a crush, and he'd been well aware of the boundaries. Soon after she turned fifteen, and suddenly she was growing up and at seventeen, Nate couldn't quite contain himself. Then there was Damien, and Serena and, finally, _Chuck_.

Nate's stomach twisted unpleasantly at the thought. It was long in the past now, but it wasn't something he thought he'd ever be okay with. The idea of Jenny with Chuck… the idea of Jenny with anybody but himself was just –

And therein lay the problem. Nate knew himself all too well. He fell way too fast, way too hard.

And here he was again, feeling like he did when he was seventeen for a girl that was just out of his grip. Just behind yet another obstacle. _Baizen_, thought Nate bitterly as he finished the last of his orange juice, _did not deserve her_.

The elevator into Nate's living room binged and then opened to reveal Sage, arms piled high with files and papers. She was talking into a headset about a backdated order at the printers. Apparently someone had made a mistake somewhere that she refused to take the blame for. Nate smirked. Sage had become rather good at arguing her case; she'd always been stubborn. He'd liked that about her.

She clicked off the phone and dropped the files onto the table in the kitchen.

'Crazy morning,' she informed him, leaning back against the table as she retrieved her cell. 'Alright; run down. Meeting at eleven that you needed to be ready for five minutes ago, lunch with Chuck and his friends on the Council at two to discuss a potential political leap. You have two investors coming in to renegotiate advertising at four, and then…' she trailed off as she scrolled through emails, biting her lips. Nate waited patiently.

'Then you have a restaurant opening tonight.'

Nate frowned. 'Whose?'

Sage shrugged. 'The email's from Chuck but the restaurant belongs to someone called Baizen?'

Nate's stomach clenched.

'The restaurant's name is J, and it's been top secret until today. The news is out and a lot of people are going. Chuck says it's mandatory that you show up.'

Nate was reeling. A restaurant owned by Baizen, and named J, no less. He felt something pent up inside him threatening to break. He grit his teeth. He clenched his jaw. Slowly, his eyes locked with Sage's. All he could think about was Baizen and Jenny, and how happy they must be, and how much Baizen must love her if he was opening a restaurant in her name.

Nate put his empty glass down on the counter harder than he'd anticipated. Sage took a step towards him.

Nate needed to be thinking about something else. About anyone else.

'Are you alright, Nate?' she asked. He nodded. 'Is there anything you want me to do?'

Nate closed the distance between them. As he did, he said:

'Cancel my eleven o'clock.'

Before he gave her the chance to question him, he took her in both arms and pressed their lips together, backing her up against the table and lifting her onto it. She felt startled under his touch to begin with, but soon settled into it and wrapped her legs around his waist. As he discarded his tee and felt Sage's nails rake up his back, all he could think about was Jenny, and how he imagined he'd feel if it were her hands roaming his back the way Sage was now…

Sage pulled back, breathless. 'What are you doing, Nate?'

He kissed her again.

_Making it better_, he thought to himself. He didn't give her an answer. Her blouse was soon on the floor and he braced an arm around her back to lower her onto the table. She responded in kind, pulling him down with her.

* * *

Chuck had never been one to mince words. Jenny knew this about him, and thus was prompted to go to him for some reassurance. She'd ducked away from Serena's company three stores in, promising to meet her back at her and Dan's apartment after they'd both found outfits for whatever surprise Carter had in store for the evening. It was for this reason that Jenny marched towards Chuck's office at his and Blair's home. If she knew Chuck – and she liked to think she did – then she knew he'd have something on Carter. There was no way he would have been able to return without the Bass' keeping a keen eye on him.

'Jenny, always a pleasure,' Chuck told her as kissed her on the cheek and let her into his study.

'I'll cut right to the chase, I know you're busy.' Jenny took the seat he lead her to opposite his desk. When he sat down, Jenny followed through on her promise.

'What do you have on Carter?'

Chuck stared back at her through narrowed eyes.

'Not exactly the conversation I'd been expecting to have with you. When you called ahead I was sure you'd want to discuss your other boyfriend.'

'My other boyfriend- you mean Nate? Don't be ridiculous.'

Chuck smirked, but Jenny didn't go on. He took this as a sign and folded his arms across his lap. Jenny waited expectantly. Part of her knew Chuck would make her wait; he'd always delighted in torturing people. The other part was fidgeting, waiting for any information that might help her figure out what Carter was planning. She didn't know what to expect, and she hated it.

'I had my private eye trail Carter as soon as I discovered he was my direct competition for a building in the city. As it turned out, he won the auction. If I hadn't been so curious myself to find out what he was planning, I would have bid higher.'

Jenny straightened in her seat. 'What did you find out?'

Chuck watched her curiously. 'Why so suspicious? Don't you trust him?'

'Of course I do. We wouldn't be together if I didn't.'

'You're definitely together then.'

Jenny pursed her lips at him. Chuck only smirked harder as he leaned back in his chair.

'Little J, as much as I despise the man, you have nothing to fear tonight. Baizen's opening a restaurant, that's all. I'm guessing he wanted to keep it a surprise for a certain reason; are you sure you want me to spoil that for you?'

Jenny drew her lips into a thin line. She wondered silently why Carter would keep this to himself; surely if this was such an exciting opportunity for him he'd want to share it with her. So why the secrecy? Curiosity killed the cat, she thought to herself, and yet she didn't care much for the idea that she didn't know what was going on. She raised her eyebrows at Chuck.

'Tell me.'

'Relationships are supposed to be built on mutual respect –'

'Are you serious?' Jenny groaned. 'Come on Chuck.'

He baited her just a little longer. Finally, after what Jenny was sure was a lifetime, he gave in.

'His new restaurant is a gift for you.'

Jenny's breath caught in her throat.

'He's naming it J.'

* * *

The evening was far grander than Jenny had expected. Having shopped with Serena, she'd settled on a navy blue Donna Karen floor-length number with a V-neck that plunged between her breasts. Serena had convinced her to get it; she claimed Carter would adore her in it. And he did.

'Hey beautiful,' he said gently as he met her outside. He kissed her gently on the lips, and she smiled into it despite the flashes that went off around them. Photographers clambered for a quote from one or both of them, but Carter only took her hand in his – lacing their fingers together – and led her inside.

It was decorated romantically, with twinkling lights in the ceiling and dark mood lighting that set things together just perfectly. Jenny couldn't help but smile as her boyfriend led her through to the centre of the room, wherein there was a delicate chandelier hanging from the ceiling. For the opening, there were no tables and chairs. Instead waiters carried canapés and champagne on trays, giving guests just a glimpse of the delicious food J's would be serving. There was an open bar, where Jenny spotted Chuck and Blair chatting easily with some sharply dressed businessmen. Dan and Serena grinned at her from off to the side, where they sat in alcove and chatted quietly amongst themselves.

'So, how do you like it?' Carter asked her, twirling her back to him so that her palms came to rest on his chest. He wove his arms around her back and pulled her close. Jenny pecked him on the lips.

'It's gorgeous,' she told him.

His lovely lips broke into a smile.

'It's for you. J is for you.'

Jenny blinked several times at him, unsure of what to say. She'd tried to prepare herself all day; in truth, she was glad the surprise had been spoiled for her. She'd done the right thing in seeking Chuck out.

Even still, she wasn't sure what to say to him now. She couldn't just say thank you – it didn't seem like enough – and she couldn't say something else, like I love you, because she wasn't sure she felt it. She didn't want to lie to him. Carter was watching her expectantly, but when no words came, his expression became soft and he didn't push.

Because he knew her, Jenny realized.

He really knew her.

'I do love it,' she assured him.

He touched the side of her face. 'I know, beautiful.'

His hands slid away from her back and he retrieved two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter. Handing one to her, he turned around and gestured at a blonde woman – in her mid-forties, Jenny would guess – who was speaking to guests near the door.

'That's Janet Pierce. She's writing a piece on me for the Post. She wanted to know if my girlfriend would be willing to offer a quote, and maybe partake in an interview with me?'

'She wants to do a spread on us?' Jenny asked.

Carter nodded.

Jenny sipped her champagne. She wasn't so sure she could get on board with that. Spilling about their relationship to a journalist she didn't even know? Although it wasn't as if she could ask the only journalist she did know. Jenny was pretty certain that hell would freeze over before the Spectator ran a piece on her and her relationship with Carter.

'Think about it, why don't you?' he murmured in her ear. 'I want to show you off to the world as my girl.'

Jenny smiled. 'I am your girl. I don't need a magazine to tell me that.'

He shrugged at her, then turned away as someone came up him with a voice recorder and some questions. Jenny's attention was drawn immediately to the doorway.

Nate appeared, looking dapper in a gunmetal grey suit.

His eyes fell on her immediately and she began to smile, only for a moment though, as Sage Spence appeared on his arm seconds later and pressed a kiss to his cheek. So they were definitely dating, Jenny gathered. Nevertheless, Nate began towards her as Sage skipped off to talk with a friend. As Nate drew ever closer, Jenny finished the rest of her champagne, then wove her arm through Carter's. Interrupting his interview, she kissed him twice on the lips and turned to the woman holding the recorder.

'I just want to let you know how proud I am of Carter.' The woman moved the recorded closer with a smile. Jenny could feel Carter beaming beside her. He moved his arm around her waist. Jenny glanced over to where Nate had stopped; just close enough to hear everything.

As she looked at him, Jenny went on:

'He's not only my boyfriend; he's my partner. I'm so honoured to be receiving this incredible gift from him, and I know that together, we can do anything.'

Sage arrived back at Nate's side and kissed his cheek again. Something caught fire in Jenny's stomach. She wasn't sure what it was exactly; she only knew it was completely unwelcome and the hot feeling crawling up her spine had absolutely everything to do with the fact that Sage was hanging on Nate's arm.

She didn't belong there.

Carter squeezed her hip. Jenny turned her attention back to the woman. She could feel Nate's eyes burning into her.

'I'm the luckiest girl in the world. I have someone who loves me, and I love him too.' She turned to Carter, who was gazing at her as though she'd hung the moon itself. He moved in and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

The woman with the recorder moved off, leaving Jenny and Carter to revel in the air around them. Pulling his lips from her skin, Carter moved them down to her ear.

'I love you,' he whispered.

Jenny grabbed the lapel of his suit in one hand and gripped it tight.

What on earth had she done?

Did she love Carter? She didn't even know.

All she did know was that she couldn't stand the image of Nate and Sage together, and the thought of them _together_ was enough to make her feel ill. The fiery heat in her stomach began to dissipate as she curled into Carter's chest. Nate and Sage moved off the bar, and Jenny lost sight of them in the crowd.

* * *

Carter had been grinning throughout the evening, ever since Jenny had given that quote to the woman from some random tabloid. Nate clenched his jaw each time he laid eyes on the prick. Thankfully he'd managed to avoid crossing paths with him, as Nate wasn't entirely sure he'd be able to keep from saying something he wouldn't necessarily regret, but that would get back to Jenny. He didn't want that.

Chuck had kept him company.

'What is she doing here?' his friend asked, eyeing Sage from across the room. She was talking with a woman from the Post, if Nate remembered her right, a gleaming smile on her face.

'We had sex.'

Chuck turned to him, a raised eyebrow in place as he judged him. Hard.

'Oh please, like you never slept with the wrong girl?'

'So you're saying she's the wrong girl for you?'

Nate fixed Chuck with a glare.

'You insisted to my wife and I that you weren't seeing the girl, and yet you turn up to arguably one of the more high profile events of the season with her on your arm? You're sending mixed messages not only to your friends, but to the press too, and now is not the time to look – to put it casually – flaky. The voters need to see someone consistent; someone they can trust. Not someone with a different girl on his arm every week.'

Nate rolled his eyes.

'Enough about the voters, Chuck. I never said I wanted to be mayor.'

'That doesn't mean it's not in your blood. You're a Vanderbilt, whether you choose ti identify as one or not. Your future is in politics.'

Nate chuckled. As much as she hated what Chuck was saying, he couldn't deny the irony.

'The fact that Chuck Bass is telling me to follow a set path in my life is hilarious.'

Chuck clapped him on the shoulder; he knew better than to take it as an insult. They were brothers in everything but blood, after all.

'I just want you to bare in mind the image you project –'

'Bass,' the distinct tone of Carter Baizen rang out.

'Archibald.'

He stopped in front of them, a glass of champagne in one hand, while the other was safely in his pocket. He looked the picture of smugness, and there was a smudge of faint pink on his collar. Immediately, Nate felt a rush of heat in his veins. He forced any ideas of Jenny kissing Carter's neck out of his mind.

'Congratulations Baizen,' Chuck said, shaking hands with him. If Nate didn't know his friend so well, he'd think he was being sincere. He knew Carter certainly wasn't either.

'So you're back,' Nate said suddenly, placing his own glass on a passing waiter's tray. 'For good?'

Carter smirked. 'Well, I don't know if you've heard, but my girlfriend recently accepted a new job here and seeing as I've opened up this place… Yeah. I'd say it's pretty permanent.'

'So she's happy?' Nate couldn't stop himself, despite the fact that Chuck had cleared his throat. 'With you?'

Carter's smirk remained as he gazed around the room, looking for Jenny. When his eyes settled on her, they remained there for a moment. Then he turned back to Nate, licking his lips.

'She's perfect.'

Nate stood a little straighter. He felt a dam building up in his mind; one that was about to break. He couldn't fight it.

'Yeah, she is. And she's way too good for you.'

'Nate.' Chuck's tone was short.

Carter chuckled. He gestured between himself and Nate with his champagne glass.

'I know what's going on here, Archibald. I might have kept myself off the grid when you were still in high school and college, but I kept up with news. I know there was something between the two of you, and maybe you're still hung up on her. But the truth is she loves me,' Nate curled his fist. The thought was too much.

'And I love her too.'

Carter took a step towards him. Nate didn't move.

'And to be honest, it seems like you need something of a reality check.'

He took another step.

'To you, Jenny Humphrey has always been forbidden fruit, and now she's outgrown you and it eats at you because you can't have her. Because she doesn't want you.'

It was Nate's turn to take a step closer. He felt Chuck put a hand on his shoulder, but he didn't care. Carter was pushing all the right buttons, and Nate's lip was curling.

'She wants me. Every day, and _every night_.'

Carter smirked. Nate's other hand clenched into a fist, too. He was ready to knock Carter on his ass, if not for Chuck's hand pulling him back.

'And let me tell you,' Carter began the final, crushing words.

'She is exquisite.'

Nate saw red. He pulled his arm back, not enough to draw attention, but just enough that Chuck was able to catch him and put himself between them.

'This is exactly what he wants, Nathaniel,' Chuck said quietly. 'A public display. A fight; anything to make you look bad. He's threatened.'

Chuck looked over his shoulder and sneered. 'Because he should be.' He turned back to Nate. 'Go get Sage and go home. We'll talk in the morning.'

Nate pulled his arm free of Chuck's grip. He knew his friend was right, and he didn't want to spoil Jenny's night. But if Chuck hadn't been there Nate was sure Carter would be on his ass right now.

He straightened his jacket and held his head high as he moved around them. Passing Carter, Nate said:

'You better hope Chuck's around the next time we see each other, Baizen.'

Carter smiled as he watched him go.

On his way home, having dropped Sage back at her place, Nate pondered the reason he'd become so fired up. He knew it wasn't just because he loathed Carter; he did, granted, but that wasn't all of it. When he'd laid eyes on Jenny that night, he knew right away. He was a goner.

He fell hard, fast and completely.

And right now, he was falling for Jenny Humphrey.

In fact, he was pretty sure he was already all the way there.

* * *

_**It's starting to kick off... x**_


	10. Old Friends Scheme Hard

**A/N**: I want to thank those of you who have stuck with the story so far! I know updates come rather randomly but I am trying! Hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint. It's the start of a whole new bit of drama...

Please spare a comment, guys! You have no idea how much they mean.

* * *

**Old Friends Scheme Hard**

Jenny was processing.

It had been a week since the restaurant opening; a week since she and Carter had exchanged an 'I love you'; a week since Jenny had spoken the words with all of her attention stuck on a waiting Nate Archibald, who had been privy to her declaration and whom hadn't contacted Jenny since the night in question. Not that she'd tried to contact him either, but they were friends weren't they? Surely he'd be happy that she was in a loving relationship – he'd said as much.

He said he would believe her if she told him she was happy.

And she was happy.

But she was still processing.

And when Jenny Humphrey was processing, she usually created. Today, however, Serena and Dan were busy engaging in some post-engagement bliss at the apartment, and Jenny had found herself hard-pressed to admit that she didn't much want to spend the week with Carter in his hotel room. She couldn't put her finger on why.

Or perhaps she didn't want to admit why. Either way, she wanted to be out, and so she'd decided to shop. Serena had always told her there was nothing a good spending spree at Barney's couldn't fix. It was a safe space to go crazy with credit cards.

'Well, well.'

Jenny froze, hovering over some glass plates she had absolutely no need for in the home section of the store. She took a moment to ensure the voice belonged to who she thought it did. First, Jenny turned her gaze down and then around to the side. She saw black stilettos first, pointed at the toe. Next there were bare legs, a gray-checkered skirt and a black vest. In the person's hand was a coffee to go. There was also a gleaming diamond ring sitting on a specific finger.

Jenny breathed in and stood tall.

'Agnes.'

'Jenny Humphrey,' said the girl, surveying Jenny like a piece of fresh meat across her coffee when she took a sip. 'Long time. Last I heard you were over in London going to school.'

'And last I saw you left me at a bar with some sleazy guys knowing full well what might have happened to me.' Jenny folded her arms.

Agnes drew her lips into a thin line. Jenny had dreamt of this day; of what she'd say to the girl who had betrayed her in the worst of ways, who'd spiked her drink and left her all alone somewhere she didn't know with… and to get… Jenny steeled herself. She pushed her tongue behind her lips, shook the hair from her eyes and straightened her back. She wouldn't break in front of Agnes. She refused to. Agnes didn't deserve that. What she deserved was much, much worse.

Jenny's mind began turning as she looked her former friend over. Engagement ring, expensive purse, and a blow-out… with dry ends, bags under her eyes and looking a little too skinny for her own good. Jenny readied the words on her tongue, quick as a ripping blaze had they come to the surface. For Jenny may have grown up; she may have overcome the demons that forced her away from the upper east side all those years ago.

But she was still Jenny Humphrey. Former Queen of Constance. Sister in all but blood to Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass. Truly, Jenny had arrived. She was strong. She could handle this. Jenny knew who she was. She had finally settled on the words to say.

'I've not been in town long,' Agnes began. 'Let's catch up. It's been a while since Gossip Girl obviously but let me see if I have this right… you whored yourself out to Chuck Bass and swiped your V card with your then-step-brother, before being banished from Manhattan by Blair Waldorf and leaving in disgrace.'

Agnes tapped her chin, a wry smile appearing.

'Am I close?'

Jenny didn't know what to say. To all intents and purposes, Agnes was right and somehow, it didn't sting. She had resolved her issues with Chuck – they considered one another family now and, sure, she'd left in disgrace but she and Blair were the best of friends. Jenny supposed that's what happened when you grew up and put the past behind you. Something Agnes clearly had yet to learn.

'Oh, and whatever happened to you and the Golden Boy? Weren't you trying to sabotage him and Serena van der Woodsen once, too?' Agnes was smirking now.

Jenny considered pouring the coffee in Agnes' hand all over her hair.

'Guess I called it wrong; he really didn't want you in the end, huh?' Agnes finished, beginning to chuckle.

Jenny opened her mouth to speak. She took a step closer. She'd had just about enough of listening to Agnes' damn voice.

A hand touched her lower back. Strong, supportive. Familiar.

Nate Archibald kissed her on the cheek.

Jenny struggled to stifle her surprise.

'Hey sweetheart, I'm sorry. I got caught up trying to decide on a tie.'

Jenny turned her gaze to him. They looked at one another for a moment. Jenny watched Nate's eyebrows arch ever-so-subtly, and she knew right away what he meant. His expression said _go with this_. It said _follow my lead_. And Jenny did. As Nate's hand came around from her back and slid along her arm, Jenny met him with her own and they clasped together.

A perfect fit.

Jenny felt a fluttering somewhere inside. She was warm very suddenly.

'Agnes, right?' Nate said then, managing to tear his gaze from Jenny. 'Nate Archibald.'

'We've met,' said Agnes, sounding as though she were trying hard to make sense of things.

Nate pulled Jenny into him. She tried hard to ignore the fact that it felt like the most natural thing in the world to be in his arms.

'Right, of course. You're the one who spiked Jenny's drink that time.'

'Bygones,' Agnes said, her eyes gleaming. 'Seems I've missed a lot.'

'Well you'll forgive us if we don't have time to catch up. My girlfriend and I have somewhere to be.'

_Girlfriend_. Jenny turned the word over in her mind. It felt almost… like she'd never been anything but.

With that Nate, his hand coming to entwine with Jenny's once more, began back towards the men's section. Jenny went with him, though she couldn't quite remember putting one foot in front of the other, or what he'd said to her on the way there. She was too focused on the fact that her hand felt on fire beneath his touch, and all her thoughts were of how he felt against her. Just _Nate, Nate, Nate…_

He touched her shoulder.

'Jenny, are you alright?'

She managed to come back to herself just enough to nod and tell him a quick, muffled thank you.

He squeezed her shoulder then, and Jenny looked up into his face. He was smiling.

'Want to get a coffee?'

Despite herself, despite being very much aware that what she was feeling for Nate just then was something more than being thankful for a friend coming to her aid; despite knowing full well that the fluttering in her stomach was more to do with how she felt about Nate than her run-in with Agnes…

'Yeah, sure.'

Nate smiled, and Jenny felt as though the sun itself was shining on her face.

* * *

'We should start putting together some ideas for caterers and flowers. Jessa tells me there's a delightful bakery on 74th that could handle the cake; apparently it's a family business and that sponge is just to die for. As well as that, there's the matter of guests. Now I imagine the wedding will be a medium sized affair – certainly less than my wedding to Louis and certainly more than my wedding to Chuck, of course. I fail to see how many friends Humphrey will really have to invite. And the dress –'

'B, I'm pregnant.'

Blair had been in a lightning mood all morning, firstly running around after her son and then engaging in meeting after meeting as potential investors called in to sign or update deals. Jenny had dropped by earlier in the day to hand deliver a press release for her new role as head of creative; Blair was sure she'd have to edit it somewhat, although Jenny had grown into quite the businesswoman since her disastrous teens. Blair trusted her to represent the brand well.

So yes, Blair's morning had been busy and on top of everything else she had to start thinking about Dan and Serena's nuptials. But two words from her best friend were enough to silence her, mouth poised – curving into an 'o' – to speak with words that had died on her tongue. For once, Blair Waldorf Bass was speechless.

The two women stared at one another.

Soon, Blair broke into a smile she hadn't worn since the news of her own pregnancy four years earlier.

'Serena!' Blair cried, throwing her arms out and accepting the woman into them.

They stood entwined for a moment, both smiles in place, before taking a step back and holding hands between themselves. Blair ran her thumb along the backs of Serena's fingers. Her smile faded after feeling the new engagement ring sitting there.

'A pregnancy out of wedlock, S? I know you're a free spirit, but even Serena van der Woodsen can't outrun an unplanned pregnancy scandal.'

Serena tilted her head to the side. 'Well, I'll be Serena Humphrey soon enough and no one will think twice about it.'

Blair smirked politely, then threw an arm around Serena's shoulders and ushered her into the atelier. It was just the two of them; Blair's assistant, Jessa, had run out for coffee to-go the instant Serena had arrived, and the design team were on a fabric excursion until lunch. Blair sat Serena down in the chair opposite her own desk. Blair then took to her chair.

'Nice try, but even when you're a Humphrey, you'll still be a van der Woodsen. So, I propose that we issue a statement from both you and Dan. We'll explain that you and Dan have been engaged for months now, and that the show at Jenny's birthday was merely to break the news to the press. We'll have to call on some of Chuck's contacts in order to put together a wedding in the next few months of course, before you start to show –'

'Well I actually had some thoughts about my own wedding, which I'm sure is a surprise.'

Blair furrowed her brow.

'Please tell me it won't be as shotgun affair in Las Vegas. You're family; Chuck still considers you his sister, as do I. That means any mess that you wind up in usually finds us too. I have to be firm here. Do not shame us with Vegas.'

Serena was laughing.

'You have my word, B. No Vegas wedding. I don't think Rufus would forgive us if he missed the opportunity to give a speech.'

Blair rolled her eyes at the idea of Dan's father with a microphone in hand, wiping his eyes with an aging handkerchief.

'Anyway, Dan and I have been discussing the wedding a lot and we both decided that we want something intimate, with just our families. Do you remember Rufus and my mom's wedding?'

'Vividly,' Blair told her, scowling at the affair. Lily had tied the knot in _Brooklyn_, of all places, and in a loft at that! Blair had a sinking feeling she knew where this was going.

'Well, we want something like that. Not at the loft, but somewhere special. Somewhere that's home. Dan says he wants Nate to be his best man, and I of course want you with me,' Blair smiled at this, 'But otherwise, we want something quiet. Plenty of times over the years we've let things come between us. This is our day, and we want it to be _ours_.'

Blair felt the foundlings of an idea beginning to take shape in her mind. She'd have to get Chuck to agree, though she didn't suspect he'd refuse the idea, and if for some unforeseen circumstance under which he might, Blair was perfectly capable of convincing him to see things her way. She was rather a fan of having to convince him, actually. Serena was watching her with a curious look in her eyes; Blair was sure Serena knew her planning face well enough by now.

She did.

'What are you thinking?'

'Leave it with me, mon ami,' Blair rose from her seat and instructed Serena to come with her. She took her friend's hand and led her from the room.

'For now, focus on keeping yourself,' they came to a stop and Blair touched Serena's stomach, 'and my future niece or nephew healthy.' Blair grinned and pulled Serena in for a hug once more.

'I am so happy for you, S. You'll make wonderful parents – even Humphrey!'

Serena's giggles were lost in Blair's hair.

* * *

The waitress placed an iced latte in front of Jenny and an Americano in front of Nate. He thanked the girl – she looked to be Jenny's age, perhaps a couple of years younger – with a bright smile and Jenny noticed the girl's cheeks flush. She couldn't blame her. Nate looked especially handsome that day. His hair was somewhat untidy, but in the way that looked like he'd done it on purpose. His eyes were so blue, Jenny noted. It was as though the sky itself was in them.

Nate raised his eyebrows a little and it was only then that Jenny realized she'd been staring. She closed her fingers around her latte and was thankful for the cooling sensation; her palms had begun to feel a little warm.

'So, thanks for…' she began, but she wasn't quite sure how to phrase things.

Certainly he'd come to her rescue, as he had many times in the past, but Jenny did wonder why on earth he'd chosen to play the role of her boyfriend. Stepping in and making Agnes believe they were meeting as friends would have been enough to convince the girl that Nate Archibald was very much still a part of Jenny Humphrey's life. Yet he'd chosen to make it romantic. He'd chosen to kiss her cheek and take her hand. Maybe it meant something. Maybe Jenny was reading into things.

She really shouldn't have been.

'You're welcome,' Nate said, and Jenny relaxed somewhat when he didn't mention that he'd saved her.

It did come up a moment later, however.

'I guess that's just what you and I do,' he said, shifting so that he was leant on the edge of the table, his eyes focused on Jenny's as he spoke again, 'Save each other.'

Jenny felt a flutter in her chest. From where Nate had moved to lean on the table, it would only take her pulling her fingers from her latte and stretching them a little for her to brush his forearm. It had been some time since she'd felt such a desire to touch Nate Archibald… and yet here she was, feeling sixteen again as they sat across from one another in an out of the way café after he'd saved her.

Again.

'You might be right,' Jenny said. She noticed his hand was flexing where it rested on his other forearm. She wondered if he was about to reach out for hers. Her breath caught.

_Carter_, she thought to herself. _You're with Carter_.

'So Agnes is back in town. Are you alright about that? After everything that happened, I mean…'

'Her getting me to dance half-naked, burning my entire collection and then dumping me at some bar with some seedy guys in the hope that I'd get –'

'Don't,' he pleaded suddenly. His voice was soft but the look in his eye was hard.

Jenny wondered if perhaps that night had affected him as well as her.

'Nate, it's okay.' Jenny reached out and took his hand, forgetting Carter entirely in that moment.

'You came for me. I'm fine.'

Nate turned their hands so that hers was encased in his own, much bigger one. Jenny took a deep breath as he applied a gentle pressure and squeezed hers. That creeping familiarity of being safe returned. Jenny did what she thought was necessary and pulled her hand from his, accompanying it with a smile.

'Carter's probably waiting for me. We're looking at some apartments later.'

Nate didn't respond for a moment. Jenny remembered the look on his face when she'd told the reporter at the restaurant opening that she and Carter were in love; _defeated_. He looked caught between anger and disbelief then, before moving off and out of sight for the rest of the evening. Jenny wasn't sure what he was thinking, but she refused to let herself entertain the notion that there was something more at work. She couldn't let herself fall into the trap of thinking Nate Archibald _liked_ her. Every single time she'd done it before, she'd come away with a broken heart.

She could see his jaw clenching as they sat in silence.

'How are things between you two?' Nate asked, though his tone suggested he wanted to talk about anything but.

'Good. He's really busy with the restaurant and I'm still fitting into my new job at Waldorf, so we don't see much of each other right now.'

'And that makes things good?' he questioned. Jenny frowned.

'Like I said, we're apartment hunting.'

Nate was nodding as he sipped his Americano. He set it down a little more loudly than Jenny was expecting, and it aggravated her. How easily he seemed able to rile her up these days.

'So you're moving in together?'

Jenny was about to nod, until she realized that she didn't have a concrete answer. Carter hadn't specifically asked her, and she herself hadn't mentioned it either. They were just sort of… drifting together at that point. They were in a relationship, but where that relationship was headed was unclear. Jenny assumed that since Carter had invited her to look at apartments that he intended on her living in one with him.

'You seem excited,' Nate took the opportunity of her prolonged silence to remark upon it. He was smirking.

'I'm glad my relationship is so funny to you.'

Jenny slid out from her place at their booth and stood up, with every intention of making a dramatic exit. If Nate thought it was alright to laugh at her expense, then he had to think again. She was all set to walk away when his hand closed around her wrist and twirled her back around.

He was much closer than she'd realized.

The proximity in which they stood demanded that she brace herself with her hands on his shoulders to keep from falling after he'd turned her around.

'Nate,' Jenny began, the name catching in a breath and making her seem at his mercy.

His hands touched her waist and his eyes flickered to her lips, and suddenly Jenny could hear her heartbeat in her ears. She was sure he was moving closer, and so was she, right up until her cell rang and shocked them both.

Jenny took a step back. Nate's hands fell away from her waist.

When she retrieved her cell from the bottom of her bag, it was Blair calling.

'There are some aspects of the press release that we just need to finalize. I'll see you at the atelier at three,' she'd said, before beeping off.

As she placed her cell back in her bag, Jenny noticed that somewhere in between answering and putting her cell down, she'd turned her back on Nate. She desperately wished she hadn't; it only made it more difficult now to face him once more. But when she finally did, she was met with surrender.

'Look, I'm sorry. It's not my place to joke about your relationship-'

'You have that right.'

'-so as a gesture, let me take you shopping for something to put in your new place. A bowl… or whatever.'

Jenny laughed. There was grace in his missteps, after all. She checked her watch. There was time for some more retail therapy before having to head to the atelier. Jenny smiled and took the arm Nate had outstretched for her.

* * *

Carter had to remind himself to take deep, calming breaths. He was angry. No, he was furious. Nate Archibald had had his run of the city for far too long, thinking for some reason he could do whatever he liked and have whoever he liked.

_Not Jenny_, Carter thought.

He took a breath in order to compose himself. He picked up his cell from where he'd dropped it on the table and turned it over in his hands, forcing himself to re-read the text messages he'd received in an attempt to accept that it hadn't been a bad dream. Jenny had, in fact, been spotted out in an embrace with Nate Archibald.

Carter read the first text.

**You don't know me, but we have something in common. **

Carter had replied.

_And what's that?_

**Nate Archibald likes to get in the way of our plans. I have something that could derail his whole future, as well as a few other related parties. You might need to put aside your feelings for this one though. **

_Who is this?_

**I'm an old friend of Jenny's. Aren't you supposed to be dating her?**

_We're together._

**That's not what it looks like in these pictures. Let me know if you want what I have on Archibald. It's yours for a price. **

Carter had yet to reply. He'd been too preoccupied with staring at the photos of Jenny and Archibald, first holding hands as they walked through the men's section of Barney's, then holding hands as they had coffee and, finally, most painstakingly, the two of them with their arms wrapped around one another and faces just inches apart.

Carter felt a stab of anger that he hadn't felt in some time. It took him back to the year he'd convinced Archibald to bet in a high stakes poker game. Subsequently, they'd both lost thanks to Chuck Bass.

The people Jenny called family, he despised.

Carter mused for a little while.

Perhaps it was time Nate Archibald was put in his place.

He grabbed his cell.

_How much?_

His phone buzzed a little later.

**$10,000. It's worth it, trust me. **

_Send me the details and I'll make the transfer. _

**Perfect. And like I said, you may need to put aside your feelings for this one. It's a doozy. **

Carter didn't question the person's choice of words, though it dawned on him later that day that he should have. Having transferred the money, he opened the email attachments and was met with photographs of a teenaged-Jenny dancing in her underwear.

Nate Archibald was sitting on the couch in the background in a couple of them.

Carter seethed.

But that wasn't all.

There were more.

And in those few, from the waist-up, Jenny was naked.

It seemed they hadn't shared the entirety of their pasts with one another. But as Carter studied the image, noticed her smile and then trailed his gaze down south to her breasts, he realized something.

The naked pictures were certainly fake. He _knew_ Jenny. Those weren't her breasts.

But the other pictures were real enough to derail any future Nate Archibald might want. After all, how would anyone take him seriously after these pictures of him enjoying an underage show emerged?

Carter understood now. He'd have to put his feelings aside indeed. These pictures would damage more than just Nate Archibald. Jenny, Waldorf Designs, Blair and… to an extent, Chuck Bass.

Carter closed his computer.

He had a decision to make.

* * *

As he rode the elevator, Nate knew he was making the right decision.

Sage was waiting for him in her apartment, having buzzed him in a few moments earlier, and while he hoped things would go smoothly he was prepared for the inevitability of a Sage Spence showdown.

Mercifully, she had grown a lot in the past five years.

So when they sat down on her couch, and she looked expectantly at him as he figured out what he was going to tell her, Nate knew deep down that she would likely take it well. She had, after all, shown great respect to Jenny Humphrey years earlier when the two of them had been trying to crack the mystery of who on earth Gossip Girl was. Nate still found it difficult to believe that it was Dan behind it all – and Jenny to an extent. How could she post such horrible things about herself? How could she let the world know about her and Chuck in that way?

Nate's fist curled.

'Nate?'

He cleared his throat and looked apologetically at her.

'Here's the thing, Sage…'

'If you're about to tell me you're leaving me for Jenny Humphrey, then don't bother.' Sage reached across him to the coffee table and retrieved her cell phone. She opened an app and slid along a few stories, before settling on the most popular one of the day. She held the screen up for Nate to read.

**Jenny Humphrey caught shopping for fixtures with an Archibald – not a Baizen! **

Nate sighed.

'That's not what it looks like.'

'Save it, Nate,' Sage said easily. 'It's not a big deal. We never said we were exclusive; we never actually confirmed we were seeing one another… and I've seen the way you look at her.'

Nate was surprised. He was sure it was written all over his face too, given the way Sage was smirking at him.

'I have to be honest though, Jenny Humphrey's not the blonde I thought you'd leave me for.'

Nate fell back against the couch. He shifted to get comfortable, convinced Sage wasn't about to kick him out. She appeared to be taking things in her stride. If anything, she was acting more like a friend now than when they'd been dating all those years earlier.

'For the record,' Nate said. 'I'm not leaving you for Jenny. She has a boyfriend.'

'Maybe so,' Sage said, shrugging. 'But Carter Baizen is no Nate Archibald.'

Sage moved to the other side of the room and retrieved a bottle of whiskey. She poured them each a glass. Taking his with a nod of gratitude, Nate said,

'Sage Spence, are you suggesting that I steal someone else's girlfriend?'

She tapped his glass with hers.

'I'm just saying it's nice to be fought for.' She chuckled. 'Or over!'

* * *

Carter had been drinking for a couple of hours by the time Jenny arrived home that evening. She rattled off excuses about having been with Blair at the atelier and 'she'd tried to call but her cell had died' and how Blair had 'desperately needed her to finish the press release and sign off on some new fabrics that had been brought in'. Carter was no more convinced off it being the truth than he was that his girlfriend didn't have feelings for someone else.

For he'd seen the pictures of Jenny and Nate from earlier in the day, and Carter had looked them over ten, twenty, possibly forty times by the time she got in. Each time, he saw the same look in her eye as Nate held her by the waist and their faces looked ready to meet in a kiss that had been building for years –

'Carter? Did you hear me?'

Jenny kicked her shoes off and joined him on the couch. She took his glass of scotch and finished the remnants, before placing her feet in his lap and leaning back against the cushions.

'I've had a crazy day.'

'I know,' was all Carter said in response.

Jenny frowned. Carter ignored the deer-in-headlights look on her face and chose instead to talk the truth out of her.

'You were with Blair all day? Are things busy?'

Jenny nodded, proceeding to tell him about some new investors she and Blair had managed to get on board with the brand. Carter didn't hear much after Jenny told him she had, in fact, been with Blair. He knew she had a past full to the brim with schemes, a past tainted by the turning cogs of the upper east side and what it turned you into if you stuck around too long… but he assumed she'd outgrown it. Carter assumed Jenny wouldn't lie to him.

'I know you were with Archibald.'

Jenny fell silent at this. She played with her fingers in her lap.

'If you're going to lie to me about it, then I have to assume it's because there's something going on that you don't want me to find out about.'

He turned his head finally to look at her. Jenny was looking back with an earnest expression on her face. She still hadn't spoken.

'Are you sleeping with him?'

This finally prompted her to reply, and she leapt to her feet as she did.

'Of course not!'

Carter didn't take well to the condescending way in which she had replied, so he rose unsteadily to his feet too. Jenny stood her ground, moving closer to him.

'Nate's my friend, and I didn't tell you because I knew you'd react this way. Don't you understand that this is hard for me? He's my friend, and you're my boyfriend –'

'You sure you got those the right way around?'

'-and I know you hate each other, which means I'm caught in the middle.'

'I can fix that,' Carter said, wiping his lips on the back of his forearm.

Jenny folded her arms, waiting.

Carter thought he should regret what he said next, because as much as it was him giving her an ultimatum, it was him putting his insecurities out there. It was him saying 'look, I love you, and I can't lose you'. Jenny didn't seem to register this, so Carter went ahead and spoke.

'I don't want you to see Archibald anymore. I mean it.'

Jenny stared at him. Carter watched her nostrils flare. He saw her jaw clench. He knew he'd hit a nerve and, as she rolled her eyes at him and geared up to reply, Carter made a decision.

'You can't tell me who I can or can't see, and you can sleep on the couch tonight. I'm going to bed. We'll talk about this like adults in the morning.'

Jenny stormed out of the room, leaving Carter feeling frustrated in her wake. She hadn't denied she had feelings for Archibald; in fact, she'd essentially confirmed the opposite by refusing to cut him out of her life. Jenny could survive with one less friend in her circle. But if she wouldn't see sense, perhaps someone else would.

Carter retrieved Jenny's cell from her bag. It was miraculously charged, despite Carter having been told otherwise. He scrolled through her contacts, selected a name and dialed it.

It rang twice before Archibald answered.

'Jenny, hey. I'm glad you called. There's something I want to talk to you about.'

'This is Baizen,' Carter said, though not too loudly. He didn't want Jenny to hear.

'Baizen?' Archibald's tone changed quickly on the other end. 'What the hell are you doing with Jenny's phone? Where is she?'

'She's waiting for me in bed.'

'Man, you've got problems.'

'Actually,' Carter sneered, checking that the bedroom door was closed. 'You're the one with the problem. Or at least you will be.'

'What the hell does that mean?'

Carter sat down on the couch to steady himself. He pulled his computer over and flipped open the screen. His emails were where he'd left them, with one waiting in his drafts to be sent to any and all contacts he had in American media. There were numerous attachments in the email.

Carter knew he would be crossing a line.

He was going to give Archibald one last chance.

'Stay away from my girlfriend.'

Archibald scoffed.

'I'll stay away from Jenny when she tells me to, and not a minute sooner. I get that you're insecure though, seeing as she and I have a history together.'

'One last time,' Carter said, cutting him off. 'Stay away from my girlfriend, or I'll make sure that you do.'

'And what are you going to do about it?'

'You don't want to find out. Don't push me, Archibald.'

Another scoff on the other end of the line.

'Final warning,' Carter said gravely.

His fingers was hovering the mouse over the send button.

There was no scoff this time, only an entitled chuckle from Archibald.

'It's not going to happen, man. Jenny deserves better than you, and if she happens to decide that's me, then so be it. Either way, as long as she's far away from you, I'm happy.'

Carter drew his lips into a thin line.

'If that's the way you want it, Archibald, then on your head be it.'

Carter glanced once more at the bedroom door. Somewhere in the back of his mind was a small voice warning him not to do this; that this would change everything going forward. But Carter knew the satisfaction the fall of Nate Archibald would give him, and he could practically taste it. Archibald deserved this. He needed to learn that he couldn't always get what he wanted.

'You're full of crap, Baizen.'

Archibald hung up.

Carter put Jenny's cell back in her bag.

He waited one moment longer to make the decision.

When he pressed send, he noticed the light in the bedroom switch off.

_Jenny_, he thought.

But it was too late.

The email was sent.

The pictures were out there.

Nate Archibald would be ruined…

…and so would Jenny Humphrey.

* * *

**_So Jenny's prince isn't quite as charming as he was made out to be... dear me, how will he find his way out of this one? How will this affect Nate's future? How is Jenny going to cope with this betrayal? How will Carter combat the inevitable storm that is a scorned Blair Waldorf Bass? Stay tuned to find out! As always, comments are love x_**


	11. Forever Is Not Long At All

**A/N: **I'm not even going to pretend I know how long it's been since I've updated... I know it's been a while guys and I'm so sorry! But hopefully this chapter makes up for it. I don't ever want to to abandon this story because I love Nate and Jenny so, so much. So please stick with me, even if it may take a while.

Just FYI: This chapter has some serious ups and downs and I do want to warn you that there are mentions of things such as minors being in inappropriate situations. There's nothing graphic, but obviously it's the fallout from the pictures taken of Jenny in 2x08 when she was indeed underage. So read at your own discretion please.

Like I said, A LOT of ups and downs in this one. Onward!

* * *

**Forever Is Not Long At All**

Jenny woke around ten the following morning to the smell of fresh waffles. Fruit came next, with the delight of berries wafting in from somewhere in the living space. Wrinkling her nose to get a better sniff, Jenny opened her eyes. She hadn't moved much in the night, she could tell. Carter's side of the bed was still neatly made, proving he had in fact listened to her wishes and slept on the couch. By the smell of a warm breakfast awaiting her, she decided he was probably going to want to make up.

She was right.

As she sat up in bed, she found a fresh, fluffy bathrobe waiting for her, as well as fresh fluffy slippers. Draping herself in both, she ran her fingers through her hair to rid it of tangles. Next she went to the bathroom and splashed her face with cool water; upon catching sight of her own reflection, she quickly supposed that it hadn't been the best night's sleep. She'd spent a fair while going over the argument in her head, how out of order Carter had been. How preposterous it was to assume he could tell her whom she could and couldn't see.

How utterly ridiculous it was that he'd ever think she'd cut Nate out.

She wouldn't.

She couldn't.

There was a gentle rap of knuckles on the bathroom door. It was open already and she found Carter standing there with a sheepish look on his face; eyebrows slightly raised, eyes taking on an appearance of guilt and his mouth drawn into a thin line. Jenny turned to face him and leant back against the sink.

'I got breakfast,' he told her quietly. She forced the corners of her lips not to tilt upward.

'I know,'

He put his hands in the pockets of his pajama pants. 'Care to join me?'

Jenny waited a moment before agreeing, if only to enjoy the regretful look on his face for a little while longer, before it turned to the smile she did enjoy so much. She rolled her eyes and strode out of the bathroom behind him. When she arrived in the living space, she found waffle upon waffle, a variety of syrups, fresh fruit, pastries, fruit bakes… the stomach was certainly the way to a Humphrey's heart, and Carter knew that better than most.

Jenny plated a waffle and picked some berries and syrup to match, before moving on to a fruit bake and the fresh pain au chocolat. Carter ate sparingly, choosing instead to focus on Jenny where she sat, happily munching on her breakfast. It would have perturbed her somewhat, if only she didn't know how sorry he must have been. He was definitely acting like it. When Jenny set her plate down, Carter poured her a black coffee and she took it with a thin smile. He sat back down on the chair opposite where she was nestled on the couch and took a deep breath, conjuring the words she expected.

'I'm sorry about last night,' he told her then, rubbing his hands together.

Jenny noticed how sincere he seemed. They'd had arguments in the past, but he'd never appeared so… out of sorts after them like he was just then. Things seemed more intense this time, more serious, and of course they were but… Jenny still found herself quite surprised at his behaviour. Even though it was justified.

'I'd had too much to drink and I was upset that you lied about being with Nate – let me finish, please,' he said when she opened her mouth to argue. 'But it's no excuse for speaking to you the way I did. So I'm sorry. I know it's not my place to tell you who can and can't be in your life, even if I think it does affect our relationship when you're around him.'

Jenny pursed her lips at that.

Carter shrugged.

'It's the truth, sweetheart. I'm not stupid. I see how he looks at you and I know there's history there –'

'I was a kid who used to have a crush, that's all,' she assured him, although the hitch in her voice was less than persuasive, she was certain.

Carter didn't look as though he quite believed her. He paused a moment, and so did she, and it was as though they were both aware of the elephant in the room. As if the knight Nate Archibald was standing right there, threatening to take Jenny away to his castle far off in a distant land. She wasn't sure she'd be able to say no if he asked.

'Regardless of your feelings for Archibald, and my feelings about him…' Carter went on, and as he did he moved to sit beside Jenny on the couch and took her hand in his own.

'All that's important in our relationship are our feelings for each other. I love you.'

Jenny swallowed. It was as if she'd suddenly forgotten how to speak.

'So here's what I want us to do. I want us to get out of here, out of the city, just for a little while. I've booked us a last minute flight to Monaco in a few hours. I've already spoken to Waldorf, and they're happy to let you go,' he said when Jenny mentioned that she had to work.

Carter moved a little closer on the couch.

'We need to take some time for us and figure out where we are. I want this, and I think you want this and right now I think this is what we need. Just a little break, away from the city, away from Archibald and the Bass empire… just you and me. What do you say?'

Jenny bit her lip.

'I should call Blair, just to double check she's happy to let me go – what's wrong?' Carter grip had tightened on her hand, in a way that was just a little too much pressure for comfort. He let go immediately.

'I'm sorry,' he told her, running his hand over hers to soothe it.

'I just want to get out of here, with you.'

'Why the rush?'

Carter sighed audibly.

'I just really think we need this. Jenny, I love you so much.' He leaned in so that they were nose to nose, taking her cheek in his palm. 'I want more than anything for this to work, so I say we disappear and we work our shit out.'

Jenny was skeptical. It was an odd time to disappear, what with her new job at Waldorf, Dan and Serena's engagement and the baby and Carter having just opened J to the public… but he seemed so intent on it just being the two of them.

'We'll go off the radar, starting right now,' he said then with laughter in his face. It was contagious. Jenny found herself smiling with him.

'Turn our phones off, throw them in the ocean maybe!' He pulled her up from the couch and twirled her in his arms. Jenny hadn't seen him so enthused in some time and it really lifted her to see him this way. He really wanted to try with her.

She couldn't remember a time Nate had ever wanted to do that.

'What do you say, Miss Humphrey?' he asked her, bumping their noses together softly.

She kissed him.

'I say let's do it,' she whispered, before bounding off to start packing her things.

Honestly, it sounded like heaven.

'Oh, sweetheart, there's just one more thing!' Carter called through from the living space. Jenny headed back through, a smile on her face.

It fell when she saw him waiting on bended knee.

He had a glistening diamond ring in a dark blue box held aloft.

Jenny felt her breath catch.

'I know things haven't been easy for us, and I know I've got some things to work out and we need to fix things, but I want this – you – _forever_.'

He stood up and approached her, taking her left hand in his and holding the ring up for her to see in the other. It was a stunning diamond of square cut, with smaller diamonds crafted into the band. Jenny couldn't imagine the cost. She felt suddenly as though she couldn't breathe. She had to take a moment to compose herself.

It felt like this should be all she'd ever wanted. She was successful; she was living her dream, and she had a man who loved her and who successful too. They worked well together. They were a dream team.

Anyone would tell her to say yes. Except her friends.

Except Blair and Chuck and Nate.

But when had she ever listened to them before?

'I want us to go to Monaco as boyfriend and girlfriend,' said Carter quietly, pulling the ring from the box and holding it up. 'And I want us to come back as husband and wife.'

Jenny felt something rise in her chest.

Was this true happiness? She didn't know.

Either way, she assumed it should be.

'What do you say?' said Carter.

'Yes,' said Jenny.

She kissed him again.

* * *

It was almost eleven by the time Jenny and Carter had finished packing, and things still hadn't quite sunk in for her. As she threw things into her case, not caring to worry about wrinkles or creases in her dresses, or whether or not she misplaced an earring, Jenny kept catching sight of the diamond ring on her finger. It had been so unexpected. So shocking. But Carter had been so sincere. She believed he wanted her for the rest of his life. He was the first to tell her that.

And he'd be the last.

He was going to be her husband.

'Maybe we should have a dual reception,' she'd remarked, after saying yes, while he showered her face with kisses. 'Serena won't be happy sharing her day!'

'And you shouldn't have to share yours, sweetheart,' Carter had said, before moving off to begin packing.

By now, there was a car waiting around the back of the hotel. They'd decided it was best to go out that way, if they were really serious about just disappearing for a little while. Pictures of an engagement ring weren't exactly the way to do things on the downlow.

Jenny hadn't even checked her phone. Come to think of it, she hadn't even seen it that morning.

'I already switched it off,' Carter told her. 'It's packed with my carry on – there was a message from Blair telling you to enjoy your time away, and a couple of emails about work – uh uh!' He laughed as she made a beeline for his bag.

'Disappearing, remember?' he reminded her.

Jenny pouted for a moment, but she had to admit; she quite liked the idea of not wanting to worry about things for a while. It was going to be just her, Carter and a beautiful country to soak in. And what might she possibly miss, really? Some scorned lover telling all on page 6? Rumours swirling about the sexuality of some mega stars? Whatever it would be, she decided she didn't care enough to worry. She could catch up on everything with Serena and Blair when she got home.

When she was Mrs Baizen.

It had scarcely started to sink in as she and Carter headed out the back and into the waiting car. Some members of staff looked oddly at her, then whispered to someone nearby; Jenny assumed it had everything to do with the ring on her finger. She'd thought about wearing gloves but, really, that would only drum up even more uncertainty at this time of year, given that it was summer.

They passed the drive to the airport in relative silence, cuddling up on the seat and trading kisses and whispers about what they would get up to in Monaco. Jenny was so caught up in her man that she scarcely noticed when people had tried to peer into the tinted windows of the car at red lights, having recognized the car Carter always used. She didn't care much for the photographers that seemed to be following them. She was sure they were only looking for someone else, anyway.

By the time they arrived at La Guardia, Jenny was beaming. She was excited. So, so happy. So over the moon with her love that she didn't think anything would disrupt her mood.

Not even inklings of Nate Archibald as they kept trying to force their way into her thoughts could bring her down.

No, she'd chosen Carter.

Not that it had been a choice.

Nate hadn't given her one.

Not that she wanted to think about that. It didn't matter. She wanted Carter. Forever, apparently.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she missed the strangers in the terminal snapping pictures of her on their cell phones. She noticed some people whispering but, again, just put it down to the ring on her finger. They were hardly hiding it.

But even Carter seemed on edge, which was unlike him. If anything, she was more of a nervous flyer than he was.

Jenny looked around. She finally realized that she seemed to be the talk of the terminal, but her hands had been in her pockets for some time now. They couldn't all know, and even if they did, would most of them care? She developed a sense of oncoming dread. Something was going on, and she didn't like it.

'I'm going to get a magazine,' she told Carter, pecking him on the cheek.

The store was only twenty or-so paces away.

By the time she reached the magazine stands, Carter was hot on her heels.

'Jenny, wait!' he called.

But she didn't hear him. She didn't hear anything.

What she saw… _oh what she saw_...

Herself, naked, plastered all over the covers.

Nate in the background of some pictures.

It all came rushing back, the night he'd found her with Agnes and insisted on her leaving, how he'd come to her rescue because somehow, someway, he always did. And this was how she repaid him?

Headlines that questioned her suitability for Waldorf Designs. Headlines that questioned his ability to lead, that questioned their relationship; headlines that painted her as a teenage vulnerability and him as a predator.

Headlines that painted them as star-crossed lovers.

But the worst one of all, the magazine that Jenny plucked from the shelf and held up for Carter to see, was the one she felt somewhere deep inside her chest. An ache she didn't see herself recovering from anytime soon.

**Baizen's Revenge: Archibald and Humphrey Go Down In His'n'Her Flames!**

Jenny had no words.

She threw the magazine at Carter's feet.

He stood in silence, eyes on the floor.

'Did you do this?'

He didn't deny it.

She didn't bother going for her luggage. She threw her handbag across one arm and marched out of the store, out of the terminal, out of the airport and into a waiting cab. She ignored the flashes of cameras, the journalists asking for quotes, the teenagers calling her a slut, Nate's admirers damning her for getting him into trouble…

She gave the directions to the driver. It was the only place she could think of.

She waited until they were on the road before she cried.

She just didn't understand. He said he loved her. She felt that. She felt something for him too; the proof was on her finger. She trusted him.

_She just didn't understand_.

* * *

Nate thought he finally dropped off to sleep somewhere around two in the morning. He'd tossed and turned, thinking of Sage and her advice – 'sometimes it's nice to be fought for, or over' – thinking of Carter and his empty threats and, finally and almost always now, thinking of Jenny. First of her voice, then her smile and her eyes, and then of how she was sharing a bed with a man who didn't deserve her, didn't deserve to be near her let alone with his arms around her. Nate had to start checking his emotions as midnight drew closer. He managed to soothe himself with a couple of glasses of scotch, despite worrying they'd have the opposite effect and end up making him angrier.

Lucky for him, he'd relaxed and finally fallen asleep.

Now to be woken before eight o'clock to his cell phone ringing unrelentingly was just an unwelcome surprise, and so he pushed his phone off his side table and onto the floor. It landed with a dull thud, right onto the shirt he'd thrown on the floor before collapsing into bed a few hours earlier. The vibration was significantly quieter now, and so Nate was able to snooze almost peacefully for a little while longer.

Until someone started rapping their knuckles on his front door very, _very_ loudly, that was.

Nate jerked his face up from where he'd had it buried in the pillow. Affected by his slumber, it took him a moment to remember where he was but as soon as he did, he managed to push himself up and roll over. Just as he was gearing up to get out of bed, he heard a key turn in the lock to his door.

'Nathaniel!'

Chuck's voice was much louder than Nate had expected. He sat up on his bed and rubbed his eyes; why did he feel this crappy? It was roughly six hours of sleep, and he'd barely had that much to drink. Nate figured he must just be really worn down. He hoped he wasn't getting sick.

His bedroom door opened to reveal Chuck in a full suit. Nate rarely saw his friend in anything else but it was still somewhat impressive at eight in the morning. The only thing missing was the friendly look on his best friend's face Nate had come to expect whenever they saw each other. Instead the look Chuck as giving him raised some level of alarm in Nate. He furrowed his brow.

'What happened?'

Chuck didn't answer, only crossed the room and crouched down to pick up Nate's once-again ringing cell.

'For future reference, Nathaniel, when your cell phone rings for hours on end and you've got message upon message from concerned friends and family – if you're alive - you answer your phone.'

Chuck dropped it into Nate's lap.

'What are you talking about, man?'

'This.'

With a flick of the remote, the television burst to life to reveal an anchor discussing the entertainment news. Nate had to look twice to believe that Jenny's face was staring back at him from a still image of her on the screen. She looked beautiful; long blonde hair, wide eyes and bright smile.

Nate only ever wanted to wake up to that smile.

The news anchor's tone was decidedly less cheery than the expression on Jenny's face in the picture. Chuck turned the volume up.

'…and it remains to be heard what Miss Humphrey will have to say about the topless photos. Despite being the leading lady in this show, however, it's not Miss Humphrey herself that has most of New York's tongues wagging. Nathaniel Archibald, who until today was thought to be a dark horse in the next run for mayor, is seen admiring the view of what can only be described as an underage girl at the time.'

'What the fu-'

The news anchor went on.

'Waldorf Designs has yet to comment on the pictures, and we're waiting on statement from Mr. Archibald's people at this time. But really, what could they possibly say?'

Chuck switched the television off.

'It's all over the news. I haven't even bothered to read the papers or the tabloids. I've had phone calls from parties who intend to withdraw their support from your campaigns.'

Nate couldn't compute. He couldn't connect what he was seeing with anything; all he knew was that he needed to speak to Jenny. He needed to see her. He needed to make sure she was okay. _To hell with my campaigns,_ he thought. He wasn't even running!

'Where's Jenny now?' Nate asked, rising to his feet and heading to his closet.

'She's with Blair at the house, being well taken care of. Blair is handling things at Waldorf. You and I need to deal with this. Nate, what the hell were you doing in those photographs?'

Nate roughly threw a shirt on, then zipped up a pair of jeans.

'It's not how it looks, alright?'

'So they're not falsified?'

Nate grit his teeth.

'Like you've never done anything inappropriate with Jenny?'

His voice was low when he spoke. There was undercurrent sweeping through the room after his words, and for a moment all they did was look at one another. Nate was breathing hard; he'd never felt this anger before. Not at Chuck when he slept with Blair, not at Serena when she left with Dan; not even with his Dad when he went to prison.

When it came to Jenny Humphrey, this kind of anger was uncharted territory. It was a seething vat that reminded him of how he'd felt when he found out about Jenny and Chuck, but it was worse. It was vile.

'Nathaniel,' Chuck began, but he wasn't irritated. If anything, he was perfectly calm. 'I trust in your good judgment most of the time. I trust that you've always cared about Jenny and I'll believe you when you tell me that these pictures aren't what they seem. But you need to tell me what happened so that I can protect you from this.'

Nate narrowed his eyes.

'Both of you,' Chuck added, and this registered more deeply with Nate.

He sighed and sat down to pull on his shoes.

'I found her at an apartment with that old friend of hers, Agnes. She was having fun, but it was a bad scene and this guy was taking pictures. I didn't want to leave her though so I said I'd wait and sat down – I was just making a point! The guy must have snapped pictures of me then. We left right after. I was there for like two seconds!'

Chuck nodded, then pulled his cell phone from his pocket.

'And Jenny was never naked.' Nate finished. Of this he would testify in court, in front of God.

'Then this isn't simply a tabloid getting hold of something crude from the past. This is personal. Someone's gone out of their way for this. The pictures in her underwear would have been enough to sabotage her, to give Waldorf and my wife a bad name.'

'This isn't about Blair!' Nate argued, heading for the front door and grabbing his keys on the way.

'No, this is about Jenny and you and how it's going to affect those around you. Nate, this might derail your whole future. It's certainly calling into question your morals.'

They entered the elevator in silence. As the numbers lit up on the way down, Nate wondered how on earth this happened. Why did these pictures suddenly have to see the light of day? And why would someone want to hurt Jenny and him so badly?

'This goes beyond wanting to smear someone,' Chuck said then, as they came closer to the ground floor and, no doubt, a hoard of paparazzi waiting outside.

'Who would do this to her?'

'They've done it to you, too, Nate.'

Nate closed his eyes. He didn't care. He'd recover from this, he hoped. He'd clear his name; he had nothing to be guilty about. He'd been helping a friend. All he could think about was how Jenny was handling this. He had to see her.

'Someone wanted to destroy both of you with this,' Chuck said as the elevator doors opened and they made their way into the foyer.

Nate spied the journalists and photographers waiting outside. He felt a feeling of disgust rise inside. He looked to Chuck, who merely raised his eyebrows as they prepared to face the onslaught together.

The doors were opened.

'Mr Archibald, what can you say about –'

'How can you explain yourself?'

'Did Miss Humphrey pose willingly?'

'Did you coerce a teenager into –'

Chuck led him through the crowd and towards the car. He was almost there.

'Mr. Archibald, how do you feel about Mr. Baizen releasing these pictures? Is it some form of revenge?'

Nate stopped. So did Chuck.

They turned to one another.

Very suddenly, things fell into place.

Chuck dragged him to the car and the driver closed the door behind them. Nate recalled the conversation he'd had with Carter not twenty-four hours earlier. He'd been warned, and he'd didn't listen.

His ego got the best of him and Jenny was paying for it.

'This is my fault,' he told Chuck.

'Carter knew exactly how to hurt you,' Chuck said, clenching his jaw.

'Jenny Humphrey's the one person you've always tried to protect. He knew to hurt you he'd need to hurt her.'

Nate smacked his fist into the door. He didn't even register the pain. He'd thought he'd hated himself in the past; he'd had days where he didn't like who he was, when he'd made choices that weren't of sound judgment and that he regretted frequently. He'd spent time doubting his own morals, his own goodness, but most of the time he was able to say he tried.

But not now.

Now he'd really screwed up.

It was all his fault.

* * *

Blair had always been excellent at multitasking. Jenny had always envied her ability to run so many things at once, be it meetings on the phone and in person at the same time, handling a team of fifty and getting them on board about the same thing, or splitting time between her work and her family. Now, she ran one soothing hand through Jenny's hair where she lay with her head on a pillow on Blair and Chuck's bed, and used the other to type out an email to all the staff at Waldorf, instructing them not to breathe a word about the scandal. In the meantime, she was running off instructions to her publicist, detailing what was needed in the press release.

Jenny could scarcely remember how to breathe.

Some time passed, but Jenny didn't move and Blair stayed vigilant at her side. Dorota had taken Henry out for a little while, so that things might be discussed and dealt with while not scarring him for life. Jenny felt like such a burden.

'I'm sorry, Blair,' she muttered. Her throat ached from the crying.

Blair stood up and moved around to the side of the bed where Jenny lay. She took both her hands and pulled her up, first to sit and then to stand. Like any loving mother, Blair gently brushed the wet strands of hair back from Jenny's face, and then wiped away the straggling tears as they ran down her cheeks. Then she took both Jenny's hands in her own.

'This isn't your fault. This is Carter's fault.'

Jenny shook her head.

'I should never have gone to that apartment, Nate would never have followed me and – God, he must hate me!'

Blair simply shook her head.

'This isn't your fault. Waldorf will recover. Nate will recover. You will recover. Chuck and I are going to protect you from this. Both of you. But you can't blame yourself – no, listen to me.'

Jenny had tried to interrupt, but Blair shook her head once more.

'We have all made mistakes. We all have to deal with those mistakes. We know that the nude pictures are doctored, that we can prove. We'll put out a statement claiming they're all falsified. Chuck and I will handle it. This will go away.'

'What about Nate? I've ruined everything for him…'

'Carter did this, not you. And Nate will be fine. You can tell yourself that if you hadn't gone that he wouldn't have followed you, but we all know the truth. Nate will always follow where you lead. That's just the way it is.'

Blair brought her thumbs to Jenny's cheeks and wiped fresh tears away.

'Now come on, let's get you cleaned up.'

* * *

'I don't care about my campaign, I care about Jenny.'

'As chivalrous as that is, we need to get our priorities in check. Jenny isn't yours to fight for. Blair and I will protect her from this; you know we will. Your role now is damage control. We need to issue a statement and claim the pictures are falsified.'

'But they're not!' At this, Chuck looked skeptical. Nate sighed. 'The ones where Jenny's topless are fake - it never went that far. But her in her underwear and me sitting on the couch…' Nate put his head in his hands.

'I couldn't leave her.'

Chuck placed a supportive hand on Nate's shoulder.

'Nate, regardless of what happened that night, and despite my utter faith in you, damage control needs to be done. We have to claim that they're fake, otherwise it brings up a multitude of other, uncomfortable questions about the situation. Jenny was a minor at the time. If Jenny's friend is willing to release these pictures, there's no telling what she's willing to say. Given that you haven't held down a long-term relationship in some time, I feel the public might be reluctant to believe that you're an innocent party. I'm sorry,' Chuck said as Nate began to protest. 'But that's how it is. You're going to have to sever ties with Jenny for now, publicly at the very least.'

Nate looked up.

'What?'

'Until this is dealt with and forgotten about, I suggest you keep your distance.'

'No, I can't do that. You know I can't.'

'It's for the best.'

The door opened and Blair led Jenny in, apparently unaware of her husband's advice. Nate's eyes fell on the blonde. She looked pale - even more so than usual - and was make up free. Blair had cleaned her up and then clothed her in what looked to be Chuck's dressing gown. Jenny's arms were hugged around her slight frame.

Nate rose to his feet.

'Jenny...' He began, but words failed him and they were left standing in the silence. Blair slipped an arm around Jenny's waist.

'As I was saying,' Chuck continued, crossing the room and taking Blair's hand in his own, 'I think it's the best that the two of your keep your distance from one another. Until this has blown over.'

Blair was nodding. 'It's for the best. It'll soon be forgotten about.'

Jenny still hadn't spoken, and her eyes remained fixed on the carpet at her feet.

'Is that what you want?' Nate asked her, and only her.

Jenny's eyes trailed slowly up. When she looked him in the eye, Nate could see the red circles around her eyes. She'd been crying hard. Nate ground his teeth. He was going to kill Baizen.

'It's for the best,' she repeated Blair's words.

Nate couldn't take his eyes from her. She looked so broken. So defeated… like the weight of the world was on her shoulders. And it was all his fault. He trailed his eyes down her face, over where her arms were crossed across her chest and –

'What the hell is on your hand?' he heard himself say suddenly.

His chest had constricted. Jenny looked down. The sparkling diamond looked back at her. She couldn't meet his eye.

'Nate –' Blair began, but he didn't stop to listen.

'Did Carter give that to you?' he asked. His voice sounded so choked. So _pathetic_.

'He asked you to marry him?' Nate heard his voice getting louder as he drew closer. Even Chuck's normally calming hand on his shoulder didn't help.

'Nate!" Blair admonished, but once again it fell on deaf ears.

'You said yes?' Nate couldn't believe it. He couldn't process it.

This girl he… that he… _cared about_ had already agreed to marry someone else? Someone who betrayed her?

'That's enough,' Blair said, and she quickly steered Jenny from the room.

When the door closed behind them, Nate balled his fists at his side and turned to Chuck.

'Why the hell would she want to marry that guy?!'

'That's not your concern right now. Heed my advice and keep your distance. Let me handle this. As for right now, you need to calm down. My son is on his way home and I won't have you this unpredictable when he's here.'

Chuck left then, heading through to his study. Nate was left alone with this news for the first time. What a morning it had been. His future might have been ruined, Jenny's reputation was destroyed and Carter Baizen was probably already out of the country. Good, Nate thought. Otherwise he'd be running for his life.

_How could Jenny want to marry that piece of shit?_

What had been so damn special about Baizen that Jenny had agreed to settle for him? She deserved so much more. Someone who cared about her, who respected her, who treasured her. Someone who loved her.

But she'd already given her love away to a man who didn't understand the importance of it. A man who was willing to share her with the world, who didn't care about hurting her in his quest for revenge against Nate.

How could Jenny love him?

How couldn't she see that there was someone else who could give her everything she deserved?

Nate would have given her the world, but kept her all for himself.

But it was too late.

* * *

_Carter knew he majorly screwed up, and that was his solution. As for Jenny, she said yes without really questioning too much what she wanted. Or WHO she wanted. Chapter 12 will see a much-needed confrontation between Nate and Jenny, in which feelings are revealed and skeletons come out of the closet. Stick around for that, and leave me a review? x_


	12. I Love You Doesn't Mean I Won't Hurt You

**A/N: **Basically I'm sick at the moment, so I can't be at work and suddenly I have an awful lot of inspiration for this story. So... two chapters in as many days? Try not to get attached to it, I guess. But seriously, thank you guys so much for reading and sticking with me! The first part of this chapter is much longer than the second: Nate and Jenny finally confront one another about their feelings... but it doesn't quite work out the way one of them expects.

I'll leave you with that. Onward! x

* * *

**I Love You Doesn't Mean I Won't Hurt You**

Nate couldn't sleep. As much as he tried, he couldn't ignore the fact that Jenny Humphrey was staying in a room down the hall. Chuck had suggested they both lay low for a day or two, before going their separate ways for a little while. Nate had no intention of leaving her on such poor terms, however. There were conversations that had to happen, things that needed to be said between the two of them, and apologies to make to one another.

Nate ground his teeth every time he thought about it.

The diamond ring on her finger.

The one she hadn't taken off, despite Baizen's cruel betrayal.

He rolled onto his other side, staring at the closed door to his room. Would she really consider staying with that low-life? Was their connection so strong that she would be able to forgive such an appalling invasion of privacy, such a cold-hearted act that threatened to destroy everything Jenny had worked so hard for? Did she really love Carter so much that they could survive that?

The very idea made Nate's stomach turn in knots. He had to see her.

He slipped quietly out of bed, catching sight of the clock on the bedside table. It was ten after twelve; he hoped Jenny was still awake. He couldn't wait to see her the next day. There were so many thoughts swirling in his head, so many things he wanted to tell her and so many things he needed to hear from her… he desperately needed her to tell him that she didn't forgive Carter; that she didn't love him enough. That she didn't love him at all. Nate remembered the way Jenny had looked into his eyes when she'd told the journalist that Carter was the one she loved.

Nate knew those words were not for Carter.

They were for Nate.

He was sure of it. He just had to hear her say it.

He padded barefoot through the hallway, careful not to make too much noise. Henry was long asleep, but it was likely Chuck and Blair were awake, either both reading or getting up to other, more… enjoyable activities with one another. Nate wanted this to just be him and Jenny, just two people in a whirlwind mess of feelings that needed to figure their shit out, doing just that. They didn't need interruptions or distractions. They only needed each other.

He needed her, at the very least.

'Jenny?'

He tapped gently on the door, then heard gentle footsteps coming closer. She unlocked it from the inside and then let it gently swing open to reveal her in a pair of slacks and an old, linen shirt. She looked… put simply, she looked terrible. Her eyes were still red around the edges, her hair was up in a lacklustre way on the top of her head. She was free of any make up and Nate could see the effect, the toll it had all taken on her. Jenny's eyes were without their usual sparkle.

Nate wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and hold for however long she needed.

She quickly moved away.

He closed the door behind him.

'You took the ring off,' he remarked.

Jenny merely nodded, gesturing to where it sat on the vanity table across from them.

Nate just wanted her to speak. Anything to let him know she was alright. She sat on the edge of the bed, far enough way that he couldn't reach out and touch her if he tried. He remained standing, pushing his hands into the pockets of his pants.

He felt the words coming up. He knew it was the wrong thing to say but, somehow, he just couldn't stop himself.

'How could you ever think that piece of trash would be worth marrying?'

Jenny squeezed her eyes closed.

'If you're here to judge me you can walk back out.'

Nate sighed, frustrated with himself. 'I'm sorry.'

'I never imagined he would do this. I knew he hated you…' she said, looking up with an empty expression. 'I just didn't realise that hate was stronger than his love for me.'

'He's a fool for ever putting anything before you.'

Jenny chuckled bitterly. The sound was quite jarring; the look on her face reminded him of a time when she and Serena were doing battle for his affections; when he'd told Jenny to get out of the apartment when she'd sworn she was telling the truth. How things had changed.

'He's not the first and he won't be the last. What do you want, Nate?'

_You_, he thought. _Only you_.

But that's not what he said. He knew they had things to figure out first.

'There's a lot of stuff up in the air right now, between us. I think we should talk about it.'

Jenny wrinkled her nose.

'This isn't how I thought this day would play out when I woke up.'

Nate ignored the weak attempt at changing the subject. He knew Jenny was fragile, but he also knew they needed to work through everything. Now that Carter was out of the picture, it was time they finally addressed their relationship. Whatever it was.

'I know things are hard right now –'

'Do you?'

'Of course I do. I'm in with you whether you like it or not, and I'll be honest, I don't totally understand where this hostility is coming from. I'm not the one who released the pictures. I'm not the one you should be angry with.'

Jenny put her head in her hands. A strand of hair fell down across her cheek and Nate had to fight the urge not to brush it back behind her ear. He realised then that he just wanted to be close to her. He wanted to hold her, cradle her, protect her from everything going on. But she wasn't the same kid he used to rescue; she wasn't the girl who needed him to save her all those years ago. She was grown up now, and she was handling things on her own. Or at least trying to. The idea that she didn't need him ate away at him. He'd always counted on being needed by Jenny Humphrey. Without that… he wasn't entirely sure what his role in her life was.

'I'm sorry,' she said quietly. 'I don't mean to take it out on you.'

Nate sat down next to her on the bed. The motion caused her to drop her hands from her face and look up at him. She seemed to be searching him for something. Maybe she was questioning his role in her life now, too.

'I don't know what to do,' she said, shakily. Nate could hear the lump rising in her throat. He reached out and took her hand.

'We'll get through this together, I promise.'

She sniffed, shaking her head.

'Chuck and Blair think it's best that we stay away from each other.'

'Are you really going to listen to advice from people who picked out those curtains?'

Nate nodded in the direction of some particularly gaudy red and black drapes. Jenny laughed. It was a sweet, tired sounding laugh. Nate only ever wanted to hear her laugh.

'As bad as they are… Chuck and Blair know what they're doing. I think we should listen. For a little while. Dan's coming to get me.'

Nate nodded along with her and, although he strongly disagreed, he didn't tell her that. If anything, a show of unity would help to ride out the storm; to show that a friendship born of happenstance so many years ago was still going strong, no matter what obstacles were thrown in their way. He understood if Jenny wanted time, he just wasn't sure he'd be able to give it to her. He had no idea how he would stay away from her. If anything, not being able to be near her just made it all the more necessary that he was.

'Do you blame me?' she asked him then. It came out in a whisper, and she couldn't look him in the eye. 'I've ruined your future.'

Nate touched her chin with his thumb and lifted her gaze to his own.

'It's not your fault.'

'You never should have come after me that night.'

'You were in trouble,' he told her, stroking her jaw with his fingertip. 'Nothing would have kept me away.'

Jenny's eyelashes fluttered at that. Nate felt butterflies in his stomach. She was looking at him the same way she had after she'd kissed him for the first time, when she was so unsure if she'd done the right thing. Nate waited. If she didn't want this, she'd pull away. Surely.

She didn't.

He ran his fingertip back towards her ear, pressed his palm to the back of her neck, then moved in.

When he was about to kiss her, it was as though he'd found a peace he didn't know he was looking for. That's when she pressed her fingertips to his lips.

'Nate, this isn't a good idea.'

She pulled away from him and stood up, leaving him staring at the headboard. He didn't understand.

'Is it Carter?' he asked, turning where he sat, feeling a bubbling rage coming to life inside.

She looked back at him with her arms folded.

'I just can't-'

'Jenny, we've been heading for this ever since you came back. Ever since we left things unfinished between us five years ago.'

'Unfinished?' she prodded. 'You don't think you made it perfectly clear that you didn't care when you threw me out of the Empire?'

Nate scoffed. 'Are you kidding me? I let you right back in when you needed somewhere to crash. The last time I saw you, you were in my shirt, sitting on my bed. You're the one who left Jenny, not me.'

'There was nothing here for me.'

'Well there is now.'

'Yeah, the scandal of the year, with you – future mayor, probably – smack, dab in the middle of it! How do you not get how serious this all is? This affects you, your future and mine! Waldorf is under so much scrutiny; I reflect on Blair and as much as she tells me it's not my fault, I know somewhere inside she resents me for being that impulsive, destructive kid!'

'We've all made mistakes, Jenny.'

'It's easy for you to say. You probably will recover from this – your grandfather will handle it. You'll walk away from this because of who you are. I don't get that luxury! I worked for every single thing I have, and I could lose it all. You have no idea how that feels.'

Nate flared at the mention if his family. Jenny knew exactly where to strike in order to rile him up; he'd spent his whole life wondering if he'd gotten to where he was because of his blood, and her implying just that didn't help matters. Of all the people in the world, Nate didn't want Jenny to see him that way.

'Why are you getting so angry with me?'

She swore. 'What are you even doing here, Nate? Did you just come to take what you wanted, finally? Came to screw me and then leave, just so you could get it out of your system? I'm not stupid. I know you, Nate. I know how quickly you move from girl to girl – I've been a placeholder in line for you before. You just want what you've never had, and then it'll be over for you.'

'Where is this coming from? I want you, Jenny. You have to know that!'

'You want me for a night. Because then you'll get bored. This whole thing between us – this fascination you have with me isn't really about me. It's about you checking off a list. I know you want me, but you don't want me forever. I've been a tease for you ever since we were dumb teenagers. You were so intrigued by me because you couldn't have me, and don't you get it? That's the only reason you want me now.'

Nate's head was spinning.

'You want me once, for a night, maybe two. But you don't want me forever.'

'You don't know what you're talking about.'

'Yes I do. How long did it take you to go running back to Vanessa after we kissed? How much time did you spend thinking about me when things were tough with Serena, only to go running back to her that time too? I'm just a prize to you. Something you haven't conquered yet. That's all. I've never been enough, and I'm done trying to be.'

'And what am I to you?'

Nate was feeling the need to defend himself, even though she had it all wrong. Sure he wanted her, of course he did. He wouldn't be trying so hard if he didn't! But he wanted her for more than a night. He did want her for good, of that he was certain.

'You are the boy that I have loved for almost half my life, and I spent a long time thinking we were going to end up together.'

'You were right.'

'No I wasn't,' she said, shaking her head. 'I've been on this ride for so long. It's time to get off. It's time to let go.'

'I don't want to let go,' he told her, trying again to take her hands. He succeeded, but only for a moment before she wrenched herself free of him again and crossed to another side of the room.

'That's not your choice. Why are you doing this to me now? Carter just broke my heart, and you're worried about how I feel about you?'

Nate swallowed. He knew how it sounded. Jenny ran her tongue over her lips, eyes gleaming with the onset of tears.

'How can you be so selfish?' she asked.

He didn't know what to say. He was in two minds about everything. On one hand, his friend was standing in front of him in desperate need of comfort and who just needed him to be there. On the other, stood before him was the girl he was almost certain he loved and all he wanted was to tell her so and be loved back, no matter what other men had come before. But she said Carter had broken her heart.

She must have loved him.

The thought made his chest ache.

'Jenny, that's not what I…' he began, but he wasn't sure how the sentence was going to end. He shrugged it off, and she turned away from him to wipe tears from her cheeks. Nate listened as she cried, each sob stabbing at him because there was nothing he could do make it go away.

'I'm sorry,' he told her honestly. 'But I can't fight this anymore. I can't pretend I don't feel this way. I'd be lying if I said I felt sorry that you and Carter are over. I'm sorry for how it happened, but I'm not sorry that he's out of your life. You deserve so much more than he could ever give you.'

Jenny peered at him through long, wet lashes.

'He wanted me to marry him.'

'No he didn't, not really,' Nate said through a sigh. 'He knew he was going to lose you when it all came out. That ring was insurance. He wanted to take you away, get off the radar, right? Marry you quickly so that when it all came out and you came home… you were tied to him. You'd be his wife.'

_And you'd never be mine_, he wanted to add. But this wasn't about him.

'I'm sorry Jenny, but that's the truth. If he really wanted you forever, he would never have even thought to release those pictures. It's like you said; he hated me more than he loved you. That was his mistake.'

She tilted her chin up and closed her eyes, allowing teardrops to run down her cheeks once more. Her voice was fragile when she spoke.

'How did it all get so screwed up?' She posed the question more to herself than him, Nate assumed.

'He didn't treasure you the way you deserve to be treasured.'

Nate began towards her once more. She opened her eyes as he did, but she didn't protest. Nate decided it was now or never. He understood things were complicated for her, but he couldn't keep it in any longer. It was a truth ready to burst from his chest.

'The way I would treasure you.'

Her mouth curved into the shape of an 'o'.

He stopped in front of her, taking her face in both hands. She licked her lips and peered at his.

'Jenny, I love you.'

She sighed. Her eyes fell closed again, but it wasn't in the way that told Nate she was content. There was a storm in her mind, he could tell. Her hands pulled his away from her face and she moved back to the bed.

'Don't.'

'I said I love you, Jenny,' Nate repeated, eyes narrowing. It was all she'd wanted to hear for so long, wasn't it? All those years spent chasing after him. Now he was hers, completely… and she didn't want to know.

'I said don't.'

Her voice was stern and the look in her eye matched it. The storm was coming to the surface. He could see her hands begin to shake as she started digging in drawers and pulling her clothes out.

'Jenny –'

'Don't say it!'

'I love you.'

'No, you don't!' She turned abruptly on her heel, the icy gaze sending uncomfortable waves through him.

'Yes I do. I love you and you love me.'

'We're strangers, Nate! We have been for years! You don't know me anymore; I'm not poor little Jenny Humphrey that you need to save. I'm not yours.'

'Yes, you are. You always have been.' Nate could feel his own emotions beginning to flare, and he was trying to keep his cool but for her to stand there and imply that she'd never cared enough to belong to him; that she'd never _loved him_… that was too much.

'You and I will never be strangers. I know exactly how you felt about me all those years, Jenny. I know you loved me. That kind of thing doesn't just go away.'

Jenny's eyes had narrowed, and Nate realised he'd hit a nerve. He just wasn't sure which one it was. There were so many things swirling around them; so many things to say and so many things that needed to be done. Jenny looked hurt and angry and hopeless all at once. And she made fractured look beautiful.

'You knew?'

She posed the question in a quiet manner, but her narrowed eyes suggested it was far more loaded than Nate realised. He nodded slowly, unsure of whether or not he'd made a mistake in admitting that. He wanted to be honest; wanted to tell her that he'd spent so much time wondering what could have been, what they could have had together, how good things could have been. Jenny scoffed again, this time with a malicious look in her eye that reminded him so much of her from all those years ago, when she was truly at her worst.

'You knew.'

The second time she said it sounded far more resigned. Nate was beginning to understand that it had been a mistake.

'You knew I loved you, but you never called me after I left in disgrace. You knew I loved you but you ignored me when I needed you the most after what happened with Chuck. You knew I loved you, and you let me stay in your bed and wear your shirt when you had a girlfriend. You knew I loved you but you ignored the fact that I was completely falling apart.'

Nate tried to interrupt, but it was no use.

'You knew I loved you and you kept me on a hook because of it. You used me! Don't you see that? You're still doing it! You're still keeping me on a line because it makes you feel good. It makes you feel good that you have a woman who'd do anything for you – someone to call on when you need an ear to listen, or a pair of hands to help. This has never been about me! This is all about you and it always will be!'

Jenny's eyes were beginning to dampen with more unshed tears. Nate instinctively moved; he crossed the room in an effort to comfort her, but she pushed him harshly back.

'Don't touch me!' she cried. The weight of her words was so heavy it felt like he might drown in them.

'You knew how much I cared and you always pushed me away. You never cared like I did!'

'I was with Serena –'

'This isn't about Serena! This is about you –'

'What did you expect me to do? I loved her and you were just –'

'What?' she demanded, eyes wide with fury. Nate closed his mouth. The words were too terrible to say. He didn't mean them; he didn't want to mean them. He wanted so badly for them not to be true.

'Just what, Nate?'

He sighed as he peered down at the floor. She already knew what he was going to say, she just wanted to hear it from him. As if somehow it would justify her being so unkind. Nate drew his lips into a thin line. There was no way to phrase it without sounding harsh. He resolved to say it anyway. He had to now.

'Just a distraction.'

Jenny folded her arms.

'Exactly,' she told him, and her voice was remarkably quiet.

There was hum in the room with them. Some sizzling tension that wasn't happy, wasn't good. It was just pain and two people who were slowly breaking one another. Nate wasn't sure how much longer he could handle it; he just knew he had to make her see reason. He had to make her understand that whatever had happened in the past, whatever had gone on between them, it didn't matter now.

Because he loved her.

'For the longest time all I wanted was to be loved by you. And now that you tell me I am… it makes me sick,' she said, grabbing a nearby overnight bag and beginning to throw clothes into it.

'You don't mean that,' he said. 'We can fix this.'

'There's nothing to fix. This was never a relationship, and I'm done pretending that you ever really gave a damn about me. We both know you kept me around to boost your own ego, and that's exactly what you're doing now. You desperately want it to be true that I somehow left Carter for you; that I chose you. But guess what, Nate? I didn't. I said I'd marry him. I chose him.'

She zipped the bag up and threw it over her shoulder, then pulled on her boots.

'You and I both know that's not what you really wanted anyway,' he told her, his gaze following her as she moved around the room.

Jenny rolled her eyes and made for the door, but Nate put himself between them. They were nose to nose. Suddenly the hum in the room was louder, much louder, so loud that Nate could hear it in every part of him. He had to swallow when his eyes flitted between Jenny's eyes and her lips. She pursed them just at that moment.

'And what do I want?' she challenged him, standing straighter and trapping him against the door.

Her gaze went to his lips too, but only for a moment. When their eyes met again, Nate didn't recognise the icy blue looking back at him. He thought it may have been hatred. He hoped it wasn't, but he had to be realistic. Still, he knew Jenny Humphrey. They weren't strangers at all; they never would be. Wherever and whenever they were in the world, they would move in perfect harmony because that's what they did. They were always in sync, always perfect, always meant to be.

'You want me,' he said, 'And I want you too.'

He placed one hand on the back of her neck and pressed his lips to hers. It was _everything_. Everything he should have told her from the moment they first kissed on the sidewalk, everything he should have done from the moment he kissed her again at the fashion show. It was everything Nate wanted to tell her for the rest of his life. It was an I love you that told her she was only ever going to be the one for him. She was the only thing he wanted. Jenny made a sound somewhere deep in her throat, a moan that sent a shock through Nate as he wove his free arm around her waist and walked her back up to the bed. Jenny obliged; he'd expected her to fight but, deep down, they both knew this was all that mattered. It was all that had ever mattered.

They'd always been heading for this.

Always moving towards each other.

And that's when she pushed him away and moved to the door once more. Nate's head was dizzy from the kiss; she had an ability like no other girl ever had to make him question everything with just one brush of her lips. He was only just coming back around when he heard Jenny speak.

'I can't do this.'

Nate turned to face her.

'We're done.'

It should have sounded venomous; Nate knew that's how she'd intended it. But it just came out sad and defeated. Broken. She lingered in the doorway for a moment.

'All that time I spent imagining what my life could have been like with you… all the time I spent wishing you loved me back, thinking about what we might have had.'

Nate had to swallow hard to prevent himself from welling up.

Jenny's lips quivered as fresh tears sprung from her eyes. She attempted a smile, but it was so fractured that he could see the sadness pouring through.

'I never imagined this,' she whispered.

She left the door swinging on its hinges when she walked away from him.

But he couldn't leave it there. Nate chased her down to the reception area, to where the front door opened on the street, and they weren't the only ones awake now. Chuck came down the stairs after them.

'Jennifer, Nathaniel, what on earth is going on?'

'It's fine, Chuck,' Nate informed him, but Chuck looked past him anyway.

'Jenny? Are you alright?'

'I'm going to Dan and Serena's and I won't be back.'

Chuck seemed to understand.

'I'll ask Dorota to send what's left of your things on.'

'Don't bother,' Jenny said, beginning to tap her foot as she waited for Dan to arrive. 'I don't want any of it.'

'Jenny –' Chuck began, but Nate cut him off.

'Jenny, we need to talk about this.'

'We've been talking!' she cried. 'There's nothing left to say. Just let me go, please.'

The way she bit her lip to fight back tears told Nate she wanted otherwise, but just as he was going to press the issue there was a gentle knock at the door. Chuck proceeded to open it, and when Dan stepped into the room Jenny threw herself into his arms,

'Jen, I'm so sorry I couldn't get here any earlier,' he said, hugging her close. She sobbed into his chest.

'Please just take me away,' she pleaded.

Dan looked first at Chuck, who offered nothing more than an unclear shake of his head. Nate was next, and as much as he tried hard he couldn't hide the guilty look on his face. Dan saw through it right away; they were friends, after all. His grip tightened around his sister and he began steering her towards the door. He took the bag she had and threw the strap of it over his own shoulder. He glanced once more at Nate.

'What did you do?'

Nate couldn't even find the words. He leaned back against the wall, defeated.

A flash of a camera blinded them all momentarily.

Then came the second, the third and finally a fourth.

Before long, there was a host of photographers outside the front door.

'Miss Humphrey, do you have anything to say about the photos?'

'Are you and Mr Archibald an item?'

'Is it true you're marrying Carter Baizen?'

'How do you feel about ruining Mr Archibald's future?'

Nate was lost for words. He could only watch as Dan and Chuck pushed their way through the photographers and bundled Jenny into the waiting cab. Dan got in after her and Chuck closed the door. They were away.

The photographers turned back to Nate and the questions flooded his ears.

'Are you in love with Miss Humphrey?'

'How long as this relationship been carrying on?'

'How old was Miss Humphrey when you took those pictures?'

Chuck closed the door on them, then proceeded through to his study where he said he was calling the police to deal with the nuisance outside. He swore to himself as he went, cussing them for likely waking his wife and son. Nate was left alone in the foyer of the house. Suddenly it felt so much bigger, like anything that really mattered had disappeared and, really, with the exodus of Jenny, it had. Nate took a seat on the carpeted stair case and put his heads in his hands.

What had he done?

He truly thought telling Jenny he loved her was the right thing.

He really thought she'd say it back.

He thought they'd be happy.

* * *

Serena enveloped Jenny in a hug the moment she spilled through the door in a mess of tears and shaking limbs. If there was one thing she could count on, it was that Serena's hugs truly made her feel safe and warm and like nothing could hurt her. But even that was doubtful, Jenny thought, as Serena took her through to the guest room – or what had become much more like Jenny's bedroom – and sat her down on the bed. Serena kept her arms around Jenny, who was glad of the contact. She just needed someone to tell her things would be alright, even if she didn't quite believe it herself.

'We're so sorry this happened, Jenny.'

Serena had told her this a little later on, when the two of them each had a steaming mug of cocoa in one hand. Serena's other hand was entwined with one of Jenny's. Dan was fending off phone calls to his cell phone asking for comments on the scandal. Eventually he tired of it and threw his phone through to the hallway, where it hit the wall and fell to the floor with a dull thud.

'Was that really the best solution?' Serena asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

'I was picturing Carter Baizen on the wall. If he ever shows his face here again…'

'Trust me love,' Serena said, squeezing Jenny's hand. 'I can think of a few people you'll have to get in line behind.'

'Don't say his name,' Jenny said quietly, before taking a sip of her cocoa.

'What do you need from us, Jen?' Dan asked, scooting closer where he sat on the floor.

'I want to forget he ever existed,' she told them, staring at nothing in particular. The numbness was starting to set in. She certainly thought she was out of tears to cry.

'It'll be hard for a little while, Jenny,' said Serena, pulling her hand free of Jenny's in order to wrap it around her future sister-in-law's shoulders instead. 'It won't just go away. You loved him.'

'Did I?' Jenny asked, though it was more a question to herself.

She really didn't know if she'd ever loved Carter; she loved the idea of being loved, and she appreciated that they had things in common. They were both cast out of the Upper East Side, they were both vilified – perhaps unfairly – and they did make each other happy for a while there. But it all changed when Jenny returned home. Of course it would. She was always a different person when she was in Manhattan. She just didn't really know who that person was anymore.

She wasn't sure what that person wanted, whether it was Carter and being married to a man she wasn't even certain she loved. Or maybe it was Nate and just letting him have her for one night to get it out of their system the way she thought they both needed to. She'd believed herself when she told Nate he only wanted her for the night. They'd been dancing to this tune since she was fourteen years old. It was the intrigue, the mystery, the flirtation that they both needed to be rid of.

Jenny knew what Nate was like, deep down. He'd get bored, because he always did.

He would.

Wouldn't he?

'Nate told me he loved me,' she admitted out loud at long last.

Dan and Serena exchanged surprised looks, but there was something knowing in their eyes too. Serena squeezed Jenny's shoulder.

'You don't owe him anything,' Dan reminded her, and Jenny nodded.

'How do you feel about him?' Serena asked carefully.

Jenny shrugged. She'd spent years thinking she loved him, and even if she did, everything was such a mess. She didn't believe that he loved her back, and yesterday morning she'd agreed to marry another man! Jenny had no idea how she really felt. Her fifteen year old self was begging her to go back to the Bass house, throw her arms around Nate and kiss him until she couldn't breathe…

But the rest of her, the heartbroken part of her, knew deep down it could never last.

'Every single time I let Nate into my heart, it gets broken.'

Dan drew his lips into a thin line and reached up to where Jenny was sitting on the bed. He gave her a knee a supportive squeeze and she took his hand, if only to feel the kind of unconditional love she'd always craved. She knew she'd always find it with him.

'After what's just happened… I don't know if I believe him.' She turned to Serena. 'You and I both know how quickly he goes from girl to girl.'

'Jenny, Nate's changed a lot since you last lived here,' Serena gently reminded her. 'I believe him, if he told you that. But… this is your choice and no one's going to force you to make it before you're ready.'

Jenny turned her face to the ceiling. Suddenly she was overcome with more tears. She felt someone take the cocoa from her, then felt Dan sit down next to her on the end of the bed. Jenny tried hard to keep the emotion at bay, but she couldn't fight it. She felt like she'd been holding all this in for so long, ever since she left for Hudson.

'I don't know who I am anymore.'

Dan took her into his arms and she buried her face in his neck. Serena stroked her hair, moving closer so that Jenny was cradled between them both.

'I don't know what I want, or who I want or if I even want anyone! I don't even have a home anymore.'

'You always have a home with us, Jen,' Dan reminded her as he pulled her closer.

'Carter told me he loved me, and he still hurt me, and Nate's hurt me so many times before and I just… I need to be alone. I need to figure out who I am again, away from them both.' Jenny pulled her away from Dan just slightly.

'Those photos of me… half of them aren't even real but people won't care, and Nate was there to help! He never did anything wrong, and now because of me he might not run for mayor, and he could get into serious trouble and my capability of working for Waldorf is in question. I just can't believe any of this...'

Serena brushed hair from Jenny's face, then hushed her quietly.

'Everything will be okay. It really will.'

'We're going to help you through this, Jen.'

'Chuck and Blair will handle the photographs,' Serena said. 'You shouldn't think about those. They'll protect you, and Nate too. Nothing will go wrong on their watch.'

Dan was nodding, then he spoke.

'As for you, you're going to stay here for a little while – you're going to call Dad tomorrow, and Mom too. Then we're going to start looking for a place for you live, but only when you're ready. The rest… figuring out what you want, Nate, Carter… it'll all work itself out in time.'

'You're family, Jenny. We're here for you.' Serena kissed Jenny's cheek, and then rested her head on her shoulder.

Dan kissed the top of Jenny's head.

'It'll be alright,' he told her.

Somehow, despite how bad things were, deep down she thought about believing him.

* * *

_So... things are not good at the moment. As much as Nate loves her, Jenny just isn't in the right headspace and she doesn't believe him. It remains to be seen whether or not her knight in shining Armani will be able to change her mind... and where will Carter fit into all this? He doesn't seem the type to go quietly into the night. Stay tuned and please leave a review guys! It can be quite disheartening to see the number of hits the story gets compared to the number of reviews... Help a girl out. x_


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